All's fair in Love, Madness, and War: Book One
by JadedWarrior
Summary: Alice Preston hates her disfunctional family and dreary life- summers at her grandmother's farm are all she has to look forward to, until she stumbles into Wonderland and into the paths of two strange young boys: a Hatter and a Knight. Not based on Syfy.
1. And so it Begins

_**Alex in Wonderland**_

_Book One: A Raven and a Writing Desk_

I do not own Alice in Wonderland- just my OC's, and this story. POSTING ANY PARTS OF THIS STORY ANYWHERE FOR ANY REASON WITHOUT MY PERMISSION IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED! IF YOU WANT TO SHARE THIS STORY WITH PEOPLE, POST A LINK TO IT!

Plagiarism makes Jade very, VERY angry. :(

_**CHAPTER ONE: And so it begins**_

Rain.

It poured down the window in silky sheets, distorting the view of the houses outside. There was something magical about rain, Alice mused- everything from the fresh, clean smell it left on everything to the way it pitter-pattered on the roof was wonderful. The sound was everywhere at once, enveloping the little house in a rush of dancing drops. Alice ran her hand across the cold glass for a moment, gazing at her reflection. She had never considered herself especially beautiful- her nose was too long and her pale, heart-shaped face was sprinkled with freckles. Straight, sand-colored hair tumbled down her shoulders and framed her clear blue eyes. Her eyes were the only part of her face she liked- they were striated like cut crystal and seemed to glitter when she smiled. But she had not smiled often lately- not even today, her eleventh birthday. Eleventh- such a coy, silky word that flowed off of her tongue. She had repeated it several times since that morning, adding it to her mental list of interesting words.

"HURRY UP!" screeched a voice from downstairs.

She groaned- her mother, or "Macbeth" as she preferred to call her, had once been perfectly amiable, perfectly sane. But ever since she and Alice's biological father had divorced, Alice had suffered through increasingly worse renditions of "Mummy's boyfriend." Macbeth had even married this one- a a thickset, beer-bellied brute Alice had christened "Goliath." He needed a good stone between the eyes. As of late, he had taken to drinking in the basement with his equally repulsive "friends," and picking fights with Macbeth. They had gone back and forth about everything- wearing Macbeth's already-frayed nerves to the breaking point.

"ALICE! DON'T MAKE ME COME UP THERE!" she shrieked. Alice rolled her eyes. "Coming!"

She snatched her leather suitcase off of the bed and dashed downstairs, but she hadn't even reached the bottom when Amelia stopped her.

"I wouldn't go down there if I were you." her half-sister warned. She was nearly fifteen, and took after Macbeth's first husband, Alan, with dark hair and eyes, a high-forehead, and a no-nonsense attitude. Her sister had never been much of a visionary- preferring to study and avoid stepping on Goliath's toes, but she, at least, could be trusted.

Alice sighed. "Are they arguing again?"

"Unfortunately."

The first strains of it were echoing through the stairwell from the foyer as the intensity of the row increased- Alice could hear Macbeth's voice reaching it's familiar glass-breaking screech.

She narrowed her eyes impatiently. "We're gonna be late to Grandma's at this rate. Why can't the two of them just stow it so we can leave?"

"Alice, that's no way to talk about Mom and Dad- that's what caused the last argument. There's nothing we can do."

"Watch me."

"Alice, don't!"

But she disregarded her sister's pleas, promptly picking up her suitcase and marching to the door.

She walked into the small, dusty foyer, it's buttercup-yellow walls and hardwood floor bare save for a threadbare rug and doors to the kitchen and living room. Alice's house was old, for sure- the dated furniture and peeling wallpaper were a testament to that- but there was something fascinating about living in a place that was over a hundred years old. Just the number gave the place an air of mystery, like an Agatha Christie novel. She wondered if one day, she would open a closet and discover a secret passage or the gateway to Narnia. Either would have been helpful at the moment- Macbeth and Goliath were toe-to-toe, hurling accusations at each other.

"I told you, Gina, I'm not letting you drive. You don't do it right!"

"I can never do anything right with you, Tom! Always it's 'where's dinner?' and 'why do I have to pick up the kids?' and this and that- why can't you just be grateful, for once?"

"Grateful? There's nothing to be grateful _for,_ you old witch! And do I ever get a thank you for working dawn until dusk, paying for your clothes? What about bringing home the bacon, eh? What about appreciating the men in your life, huh?"

"I would if there was anything to appreciate, you fat piece of-"

Alice cleared her throat loudly and the two of them froze, accusing fingers stopped in midair.

"I'm ready." said Alice simply, eyeing the astonished looks on their faces with amusement. But Macbeth soon donned her customary frown, which, to Alice's dismay, was all too like her own. But they were not quite identical in appearance. Macbeth's hair was lank and frizzy, her face more heavily wrinkled and her build scrawny and tall. Her eyes were a dull hazel. Goliath's piggy eyes were a dull brown and weighed down by his bushy eyebrows. He definitely had the look of a giant- a large nose, square jaw, and a pat of balding black hair.

"Took you long enough." he mumbled. "I'm starting the car." With that, he marched out of the house, slamming the door behind him. Macbeth snorted, glancing at Alice's shorts and t-shirt with disapproval.

"What are you, a little boy? Change your clothes."

"Grandma lives on a farm-I don't want my nice things to get dirty."

Macbeth threw her hands into the air. "Never mind. But at least fix your hair- it's a mess."

she tossed Alice her light blue windbreaker, and none too gently, either.

"Oh, there's no time- just get in the car! AMELIA!" she called. Amelia appeared almost instantly, trunk in hand and hair perfectly intact.

Macbeth muttered something like "...thinks I can't take care of my own children..." as Alice and her sister hurriedly trundled out the door and into the pouring rain. She held the hood of her jacket close to her head, and the two of them piled into the humming, mud-colored car. Goliath began pulling out of the driveway almost before Macbeth had slammed the car door shut- likely the cause of the muttered curses under her breath. Her parents' row had boiled down to a terse silence- one that, by now, everyone knew not to break. Alice occupied herself by staring out the window. The rain was just as thick as it ever had been, but she could still make out the long, narrow brick houses and cracked sidewalks of Pembrooke Way. Some had rusty, wrought-iron gates, others were nearly overgrown with ivy. The houses were packed together- as if two blocks had folded inwards like a great accordion, squeezing into one dilapidated street. But there was a homeyness to it, too, and Alice kept her eyes on it until they had turned the corner and vanished out of sight.

They drove on in strained silence for nearly an hour, weaving through the suburbs and finally emerging into the countryside, where fields of sprouting corn and flashing bolts of lightning were testament to the rainy beginnings of summer. For as long as Alice could remember, summer had been a lifesaver- eight weeks totally free of Macbeth and Goliath spent at her grandmother's old farm. There were only chickens on it now, but the buildings still stood, and an old, dense wood grew around it. It was the magical kind of forest that blocked the sounds of the outside, making time itself seemed to freeze. And then there was grandmother herself- a tired, but kindly old woman. How she had managed to produce a demon like Macbeth, no one was quite sure, but she didn't often talk about her daughter.

"Blasted rain. I can barely see through the windshield!"

Everyone jumped at the sudden noise- silence had reigned for so long. But Macbeth did not challenge Goliath's complaint, and the tension in the car relaxed a bit. Alice dared to venture a whisper to Amelia, "How long until we reach the farm?"

Amelia sighed, though she had to bite her lip to disguise a smile. "You ask that every year. You know that we won't get there for at least another half hour yet. Oh- and happy birthday." she added.

"You're about the only person who thinks so."

"Cheer up, Alice. I'm sure Grandmother will remember."

Alice had no response to that, so she returned her gaze to the window. There was so much out there- so many rolling fields to walk and trees to climb. She wanted to reach out and touch them, but the car continued to whisk them away, and Alice only beheld fleeting images of the outside world.

At last, they reached the long, winding road to the farmhouse. Long ago, the pastures might have held sheep and cows, but now only brittle grass and dilapidated fences remained. The fields around the farm had been rented to other, more able farmers- and all Grandmother had left were the farmhouse, barn, and pastures. But they were still beautiful, in a way- the farmhouse was tidy and whitewashed, nestled right up against the surrounding woods, and the flowerbeds were filled with bright blooms. Alice loved summers here. Grandmother was always eager for company, and just as willing to let her explore the surrounding woods and pastures- provided she didn't wander too far. Grandmother- one of the few sane members of her family, and, save for Amelia, the only one she called by her real name. She was already on the porch, grinning from ear to ear as the four of them trundled out of the car. Grandmother's smile was warm and friendly, deepening the wrinkles on her round face and lighting up her blue eyes, which were so like Alice's. Her silver hair was pulled back in a loose bun, and she wore simple, flower-printed clothes.

Alice threw her arms around her the moment she'd reached the porch. Amelia followed more slowly, though, giving Grandmother a shy smile. Macbeth didn't even bother to hide her contempt.

"When am I supposed to take them back?" she growled in a low voice, as if every word hurt.

Grandmother's eyes were soft but firm when she said, "I believe we agreed on August fourteenth."

Macbeth gave a curt nod, and stalked back to the car without so much as a goodbye. Alice glared at her until the car vanished out of sight.

"Come now, Alice- no sour faces." Grandmother chided, gently pulling out of the hug. "We've got to get the two of you dried off." she gestured to the wet patch Alice's coat had left on her blouse.

"Sorry-"

"Oh, don't be." said Grandmother dismissively, waving a hand at her. "A little rainwater never hurt anything. Now come in, come in!"

And the two of them stepped into the old house, breathing in the sweet smell of old wood and baking bread. The house was a cozy one- old photos lined the wallpapered walls, and all of the floors were hardwood. Her grandmother's house was as dated as her own, but in a rustic, charming way, instead of looking like a musty old mess.

"You can put your things in the spare bedroom- there's spare towels in the bathroom where you can dry off, and supper's nearly ready. Make yourself at home!"

Grandma looked just as excited as Alice felt- it looked like the poor woman didn't often get company. Alice took the stairs two at a time. "Race you to the top, Amelia!"

But Amelia only gave her a severe look, "Alice, you know you shouldn't run in the house!"

She rolled her eyes. That was Amelia, all right. But she ran to the spare bedroom anyway, dropping her trunk on the bed by the window- her favorite of the two. She'd used this bed every summer for the past four years. It allowed her to look at the thousands of stars in the country every night before she drifted off to sleep- stars as numerous as the dancing raindrops. Amelia soon strode into the room, wasting no time in unpacking her things and laying them neatly into the old dresser.

"Aren't you going to unpack?"

Alice shrugged. "I can do that later. Right now, I'm just glad to be away from Goliath and Macbeth."

"Alice! You know mother doesn't like that name."

Alice could care less what Macbeth liked or disliked. But she only sighed, hanging her wet coat on the bedpost. She had intended to dry herself off, but there was very little drying to do.

"Amelia, how can you put up with them? They're just..." she grappled for a word, but found none worthy of her parents. "It's like they don't even care. About us... about anything."

Amelia looked up from her packing, her deep brown eyes filled with sorrow.

"Things aren't always what they seem, Alice."

_**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**_

Fixed the author's notes in the story. XD Left those "GAAAH THIS SUCKS" comments in there by accident. I put those in my rough drafts to mark the places I need to fix NOW. Please read and review? I respond to all reviews, and love my reviewers dearly. And I do not own Alice in Wonderland- just my OC's, and this story.


	2. You totally saw this coming

_**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**_

_To all those who read this- THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!! XD I've had trouble getting people to read or review my stories, so I really appreciate all of you guys. You should see chapters springing up pretty quickly, for a while- I've got 7 or 8 that just need editing and uploading._

_Thanks for reading!~_

_JadedWarrior_

_**CHAPTER TWO: You totally saw this coming, didn't you?**_

Grandmother had indeed remembered Alice's birthday, and supper that night was truly wonderful. Alice awoke the next morning to bright rays of sunlight filtering through the window- the perfect way to start the day. She pulled on a pair of denim shorts, ran a brush through her hair, and dashed downstairs.

Grandmother was already laying dishes on the table.

Alice frowned. "Did I miss breakfast?"

"Not yet. Can you give me a hand with it?"

Alice grinned- cooking with Grandmother was always fun. "Of course. What are we making?"

"I was thinking pancakes. Can you fetch Amelia, too? She's supposed to be feeding the chickens."

"Sure."

Alice stepped out into the morning sun, savoring the warmth for a moment. Then, she walked through the winding paths stretching around the house to the chicken coop. It was a squawking, messy place, and Alice wrinkled her nose as she stepped inside. And that was when she saw it.

The smell of the pen and the noise no longer mattered- only two things registered in Alice's mind.

1. Amelia was gone.

2. In the middle of the coop stood a white rabbit, clad in a crimson waistcoat. He was tapping the edge of a gold pocket watch.

"Blast... It can't be eight o' clock already- I've only just left. Oh, dear, I'm going to be so terribly, terribly late!"

A talking rabbit. Had she finally lost her mind?

Alice was frozen stiff with shock- before she even had time to get her bearings, the rabbit had bounded away, muttering "Late... Oh, no, I can't be late!"

She finally shook herself from her reverie. A talking rabbit.

"Hey! Erm, excuse me!"

She took off after him at a run, but he was totally oblivious to her calls, still muttering to himself.

Alice knew she must look ridiculous. She felt ridiculous, chasing a rabbit in a waistcoat. Animals didn't talk. It was completely and utterly impossible.

Yet, there he was.

She had to talk to him.

"Hey, wait you...um... Wait, Mr. Rabbit!"

They had left the farmhouse far behind- Alice was ducking and weaving through trees and brush, following the glimpses of snow white fur.

And suddenly, he vanished.

"Mr. Rabbit? Where-AAAAAAAAAHHH!!"

Alice screamed as the ground beneath her vanished and she plummeted into space. She was falling... falling... air rushing past her face and glimpses of strange objects flashing past her vision.

A toaster.

A lampshade.

A bathtub- wait, a bathtub?

She had gone mad. It was a nightmare, a terrible nightmare... any second she expected to crash to the ground in a bloody heap. She could see the bottom of the hole rushing up to meet her.

Falling...

Falling...

SMACK.

The air whooshed out of Alice as she hit the ground, but not with the deadly force she'd expected.

She was alive. By some miracle, she was alive. But the rabbit was gone. She tried to sit up, but the walls spun wildly and she was forced to lay back down.

Alive. She was alive, and stranded at the bottom of some strange mine shaft. The Rabbit was gone, and Amelia and Grandma would be worried about her by now.

Her eyelids were drifting... but if she fell asleep, would she ever wake up? She toyed with the idea in her mind for a moment before forcing herself to her feet. Tempting death was never a good idea, even-

She gasped.

She was in a lantern-lit room ringed with doors of every shape and size- including one no higher than her knee. A single small table stood in the center of the room. Perhaps this was the Rabbit's burrow? She didn't want to intrude, but she had to get out of the hole. So she tried all of the doors- but they were locked tight. Panic began to creep into Alice's veins.

That was when she spied the large, golden key on the table- right next to a crystal phial filled with clear liquid, labeled "DRINK ME."

Fat chance. The last time she had drunk an unknown substance, it had turned out to be window cleaner. Three days in the hospital later, she was well enough to regret it, and she did _not _want to repeat the experience. So she snatched the key and tried the doors again. She moaned as one finally opened- it was the one that was only knee-high. Gentle birdsong filtered through, but she would never fit. She pounded the wall in frustration- blast it! How could she have been so stupid- so intent upon chasing the rabbit that she ran herself right into it's hole?

"Mr. Rabbit!" she cried. "Mr. Rabbit, please! HELP!"

No response. Tears began to roll down her face.

The only thing she had left was the bottle. She hated the idea of repeating the Windex experience- made worse by the fact that no ambulances would come to pump her stomach this time.

But it was this or starve to death. She had no choice.

She placed the key back on the table, and pried the stopper off with trembling fingers. She took a deep breath, preparing to take a sip, but froze before a drop passed her lips. Something told her that she shouldn't leave the key on the table. Without really knowing why, she put it back in her pocket. After all, one could never be too careful with these things.

At last, Alice took a tentative sip. Just one.

Almost instantly, a most curious sensation racked her limbs. She felt like invisible bands were squeezing her body- tightening her muscles and forcing her eyes shut. The ground was unsteady beneath her... she couldn't breathe... and when she was sure that she must burst into a thousand pieces, the pressure ceased. She sucked in great gulps of air, and when she dared to open her eyes, she nearly stopped breathing again.

She was still standing next to the table, but it had swelled to an enormous size- towering above her head. As had the doors... and the walls...

Alice froze. The room had not grown at all.

She had shrunk.

Shrunk. Like T shirts in the laundry.

Her first coherent thought was that if she ever made it home, Amelia and Grandmother would surely never believe her.

But for the moment, she had more pressing issues to deal with. She tried the smallest door (The only one she could reach at her current size) and found that it had locked again.

She thanked her lucky stars that she had kept the key with her. I mean, can you imagine how horrible it would have been if she'd left it on the table? That would have _really_ sucked. As it was, it swung open easily, and Alice stepped out once more into the bright sunshine.

But something was not quite right. Alice could not quite explain it- but everything seemed more vivid- the sky was bluer, the grass was a pure, emerald green. But perhaps it was just the effects of being underground so long. Perhaps there was a totally logical, non-crazy explanation to what she had experienced. Perhaps she had hit her head in the woods.

Perhaps. But she doubted it very much. She began walking back through the woods- had it been this thick before? She probably just hadn't noticed it before, so intent was she on the rabbit. Of course.

She'd just follow her tracks, apologize to Grandmother for taking so long... sure. In just a few minutes, this would all be a memory. Sure.

But somehow, she couldn't believe her own words.

A brightly-colored bird flashed by her vision, gliding between the trees. _That_ certainly hadn't been there before. And Alice wasn't sure whether to be excited or afraid. Was this some kind of hidden kingdom? Had she (literally) stumbled into the door to Narnia she had searched every closet for since she was six years old? Oh yes- the thought was ridiculous. But today, everything seemed ridiculous. The world was ridiculous. Alice had simply come to accept it.

So, she was not unduly surprised when she spied a small cake at the foot of a tree, with the words "EAT ME" written in pink icing. She dearly hoped that this one would make her grow- she feared that another shrinking would make her vanish completely. But it was a dream, after all. It had to be. What did she have to lose? She took a small bite, and felt the horrid paralyzing sensation again- this time, it felt like she was being stretched by invisible bungee cords. She wobbled as she returned to her usual size- give or take an inch or two. She pocketed the cake, wrapping it in one of the old leaves on the ground. One never knew!

But, normal size or not, the farther Alice walked, the stranger the wood became. Creatures dashed about the roots of the trees- mice, rabbits, and brightly-colored creatures with horns and fuzz and feathers and scales. Strains of conversation drifted from all around her, and sometimes Alice wondered if the trees themselves weren't doing some of the talking.

"Morning Sasha!"

"Morning, Gringo. Having any luck with your cabbage plants this season?"

"Look at that! My best dress- ruined!"

"Short, isn't she?"

"Yes, much shorter than Alices usually are."

"Ssh! Edwyn, she'll hear!"

Alice craned her neck, but she could not determine the speakers above the bustle of activity.

And somehow, Alice was sure she wasn't dreaming.

"Amelia? Grandma?" she called, sidestepping a family of lizards. "Anyone? Hello? He-"

WHAM!

Alice cried out in surprise as another body collided with her own, sending her tumbling into a grassy clearing. She tussled wildly with her mystery assailant for a moment, but was soon overpowered. She was pinned to the ground, frozen in terror, until she saw the face of her attacker.

A grinning boy with bright orange eyes stared down at her.


	3. Percivus Bobinhatton

_**AUTHOR'S NOTE**_

_Told you that chapters would start springing up fast! XD I was going to add a tea party scene into this chapter, but decided against it. If you guys really want to see it, I might type it up, but I didn't think it would add much to the story._

_Again, thank you SO much to you guys who review and read this. :D Constructive critisism is very much appreciated. _

_**CHAPTER THREE: Percivus Bobinhatton **_

"Who are you?" Alice breathed.

"Percivus Roric Bobinhatton." he said grandly. "AKA, 'The one who's pinning you to the ground,' 'Raresley's son' and 'apprentice to Squirrelbeard the Hatter.' But you can call me Percy. And yourself?"

"Alice. Alice Preston."

Percy got to his feet and helped Alice to hers. "Alice, huh? Are you from the Kingdom of Hearts?"

She eyed him oddly. "I'm from Newcastle- that's in America."

Percy eyed her, if anything, more oddly. He was like no boy her age Alice had ever met- he was dressed in a black fedora, bright plaid shorts, and a white undershirt. His untidy hair was the color of brown sugar and shot through with streaks of black, shocks of it covering his orange eyes. His pale face was angular and a little gaunt, but his smile lit up his face and made his eyes sparkle.

She took to him immediately.

"So... this is the Kingdom of Hearts?"

"Sure. We're standing in the Wayfaring Wood, the favorite haunt of myself and a certain Marcus Raine... HEY! MARCUS!" he called over his shoulder. Not a moment later, another boy appeared. He looked about as old as Percy, but the similarities stopped there. His eyes were a greenish blue, hidden beneath long black hair and sharp eyebrows. His face made him look older than he really was, with a stronger jaw and mischievous smile. He cut a dashing figure in his tunic and boots- like a miniature knight. But the mischief in his gaze could only be that of a young boy.

"Who's this, Perce?"

"Alice." she said, before Percy could answer. Marcus looked her up and down with a raised eyebrow.

Then his face broke out into a grin.

"Did he tackle you?"

Alice nodded. "But I tried to repay him in kind."

Percy shuffled his feet sheepishly. "She was tougher than I thought."

"You got beat by a _girl_?"

"Hey, this _girl _could whip you just as easily, buster." retorted Alice. "Want to try it?"

Marcus only gaped at her, and Percy erupted in a fit of giggles.

Alice just managed to hide her own laughter as she shrugged. "And you two aren't like any boys I've ever met, either."

Percy grinned. "Excellent- That'll make things a lot less boring. Want to train for the Caucus Race with us?"

Alice raised an eyebrow. "What's a Caucus Race?"

The boys gaped at her.

"It's _only _the biggest event of the whole summer!" said Marcus. "Anyone can enter, and everyone gets a prize!"

"And this year, we _have _to win," Percy added. "Marchy's agreed to enter this year- he's the fastest Hare in the fourth district. He's got a few bats in the belfry, but he'll be fine if we keep him on the track."

"And we can't let stupid Tibbarin Tubshanks win again: he'll never let us forget it." added Marcus.

Alice could not stifle a giggle, "Tibbarin... Tubshanks? Is that what you said?"

"Have you heard of him? He's a real prat- always tattling and throwing his weight around." Marcus grumbled. "Just because _his _father's Lord of the fourth district doesn't make him the stupid-"

"'Fourth District?' Is that where we are now?"

Percy shrugged. "Nobody really knows. Everybody draws up different maps here- poor Marchy's got one that's missing the entire Wayfaring Wood. No wonder he couldn't find his way home..."

"We leave it to the noblemen to argue over the boundaries." said Marcus. "The rest of us have better things to do."

_ Like tackling girls and entering races?_ But Alice simply shrugged. "So, how does a Caucus race work?"

"How does any race work? You just run until everyone wins. Simple." said Marcus.

"But... how will you beat Tibbarin Tubshanks if everyone wins?"

Percy and Marcus exchanged a genuinely puzzled glance. "No offense, Alice, but you're kinda weird sometimes."

Alice didn't even want to grace that with a response.

Marcus continued, "It doesn't really matter who wins and who doesn't- we'll beat Tibbarin anyway. Even if we come in dead last. We still have to win, though."

"But that's..." Alice sighed, abandoning the topic. This conversation was going nowhere.

"All right, then- how do you train for a Caucus race?"

Percy grinned. "Last one back to the shop loses!"

And with that, the two boys tore off into the woods.

"Hey- wait! Where's the shop?"

But they gave no response, and Alice had no choice but to run after them, weaving between trees and disgruntled creatures.

"Can't catch us, Alice!"

She grinned savagely and put on an extra burst of speed- her feet hardly touching the ground. Soon she was nearly upon them.

"Ha! Get ready to eat my dust, Marcus!"

And with that, she whizzed past the dumbstruck boys and plunged on into the woods, regardless of direction. She felt more alive than she had in years- she felt nothing but the rush of the wind and the rhythmic pounding of her feet.

But Marcus was nearly as fast- the two of them were running neck-and-neck.

"What's that you said about being beat by a girl?" Alice teased, putting on an extra burst of speed.

"No fair! You didn't tell us you were that fast!"

"Maybe you're just too slow!"

And with that, the two of them burst out of the trees and emerged into the sunlight.

"You lose, Marcus!" Alice panted, skidding to a stop.

He sank to his knees, gasping for breath. "You're... almost faster than.... The March Hare...."

Then he grinned. "You're really something, Alice."

Percy burst out of the trees a moment later, chest heaving. "Is it... over already?" he gasped.

"Looks like it. Alice must be part hare."

Alice promptly stuck her tongue out at him. "Then you're part snail- I could have beaten the both of you with my eyes closed!"

"Oh really?" laughed Percy. "Well, I could best the both of you in a wrestling match."

Marcus growled playfully. "I'll take that bet. Alice?"

Alice didn't answer- instead, she let out a fearsome growl and launched herself at Percy. They tussled for a moment, rolling across the yard, before Marcus joined in the melee and all was chaos and peals of laughter.

"And what's this?"

The three of them sprang apart at the sudden voice- but Alice froze when she saw it's owner. He was an old man, though unhindered by cane or staff. His skin was tanned and wrinkled, and frosty hair cascaded down his shoulders. He had a long silver beard and twinkling, coffee-colored eyes glinted over his long nose. A most curious hat was on his head- a grayish-purple one with a tag reading "10/6." He wore a full tuxedo of wild shades of purple and gray- even in the summer heat. A curious ensemble to be sure, but there was something almost familiar about his face, though Alice was sure she had not met him before. He peered down his long nose at Alice.

"What's your name, child?

"Alice."

He paled, swaying on the spot for a moment. "A-Alice? A most curious name to be sure..."

He spoke even more quietly, _"...and one that is not entirely yours..."_

But he seemed to be talking more to himself than anyone else. "Alice... indeed. And you came from the Rabbit Hole?"

Her eyes widened. "How did you know?"

He smiled, a little sadly "I have a strange affinity for knowing things that I should not- one that has gotten me into plenty of trouble on more than one occasion. But enough about me- what brings you to Wonderland?"

"Nothing brought me- I sort of... fell in. I was chasing a White Rabbit. Have you seen him?"

The melancholy in the old man's face vanished as he laughed- his smile wide and lending light to his old face, just like Percy's.

"Seen him? Oh yes- I've known Florence since he was a kit. He comes from a long line of Messenger Rabbits, though Florence is more partial to the waistcoat than his father was. Curious, really, because-"

He caught the aghast look Marcus and Percy shared and chuckled.

"All right- I'll save the lecture for another time." He turned his gaze upon Percy.

"And how did you two come upon Alice?"

Percy looked a little sheepish. "I- er, we ran into her in the woods. She's helping Marcus with his... swordplay."

They all cringed at the obvious lie- Alice hadn't so much as held a sword. And was it just her imagination, or had Percy's orange eyes faded to a misty gray? But it must have just been a trick of the light, for when he raised his head, they were unchanged.

"Can she stay?"

"Stay? Of course she can, if she wishes to." He cast his eyes upon Alice again, "Look at me, rambling off when I haven't even properly introduced myself. My name is Alexander Squirrelbeard- The Mad Hatter. Just Squirrelbeard, to you. 'Old Geezer,' 'Most Venerable Squirrelbeard,' or 'Hatter' will also suffice."

The Mad Hatter, huh? Alice could definitely believe it.

The Hatter grinned.

"Tell me, Alice- do you know how a raven is like a writing desk?"

Marcus groaned. "Not THIS again..."

But Alice could think of no answer, so she shook her head. But the Hatter did not look disappointed.

"Do you know, Mr. Squirrelbeard?"

"I haven't a blasted clue. But it's a wonderful riddle- really wakes you up in the morning. Yes, all you need is a good fourteen cups of tea and a good riddle every morning- Keeps you healthy and constantly running for the bathroom."

Alice did not know if those two things were quite related, but she roared with laughter like the others.

When they were all fit to speak, the Hatter continued. "You know, lately I've been compiling a list of names with five letters. Alice, Percy, Marco, Paula, Flain, Werma, Adeli, Amelia-"

"That's six letters." interrupted Marcus. But at that moment, something quite different had occurred to Alice.

_Amelia. _

"Oh, no! I totally forgot!"

Stupid, Stupid, Stupid!

She must have been gone for at least an hour or two- her Grandmother and sister would be terrified.

"My grandmother... my sister... I have to get home!" she said frantically. "I'm so sorry to leave at such short notice, but they'll worry... I've already been gone too long. Is there another way for me to leave? Or can I fall up the Rabbit Hole as well?"

Squirrelbeard grinned. "That sounds like wondrous fun! I tried it once, but... well, I suppose the story of my third arrest is one for another time. Alice has to leave."

"Already?" pouted Marcus. "Can't you stay a little longer, Alice?"

She flashed him a quick smile. "I wish I could- but I can't. I'll try to be back tomorrow, though- but I'll probably bring a lot of pillows to break my fall."

Squirrelbeard shook his head. "The Rabbit Hole isn't the most comfortable way to travel, and it's a one-way entrance. There's only three ways into Wonderland: The Hole and the Warrens."

"But that's only-"

"The Warrens are run by the Rabbits, including Florence. They guard their tunnels jealously, but surely they'll let you in... after all, you're the first in so long.."

Again, he seemed to talk to himself more than anyone else.

"Yes, Banthrope owes me one for that Carrot cake he stole... perhaps he'll consent to let you pass... But take Percy and Marcus with you. They know the way, and it's best if you three stick together. The Wayfaring Woods has a nasty temper when roused."

He clapped his hands, shaking himself from his reverie. "Right then- Percy, you know what to do. Look for Banthrope, and tell him I sent you. Off you go!"

And with that, the three of them turned away from the shop and plunged back into the woods.


	4. Dark History

_**AUTHOR'S NOTE**_

_READ THE CHAPTER FIRST BEFORE YOU READ THIS! _

_As you can see, the Queen of Hearts is still very much alive and in power, even though this is an AiW2010 fic. This story was inspired by the movie and has no firm roots in any Alice in Wonderland material currently available- more like a hybrid of several movies and my own imagination. With this said, realize that the Queen is still alive, Ilosovic Stayne is not the Queen of Hearts, and Alice and Tarrant have long since died, though after living wonderfully long, happy lives. :D The Jabberwockey's slaying also happened differently. None of that is really important to the story- just don't get confused by the happenings of the movie. It's all ancient Wonderland history. Also, I'll be posing some images of Percy and Marcus that I've made in a future Author's Note. :D Keep reading, keep reviewing, and thank you so much for your support!~_

_**CHAPTER FOUR: Dark History**_

"He's mad." said Alice simply, when she was sure that they were out of earshot. Percy only grinned. "Of course he is- we're all mad here. But Squirrelbeard is the maddest of all- the Mad Hatter. A genius among men!"

"Don't mind Percy- he thinks the sun shines out of Squirrelbeard's-"

But he stopped abruptly when he saw the look on Percy's face. "Oh, c'mon, Perce- you know I'm kidding. Squirrelbeard may be a little barmy, but he's a great guy. And..."

His voice dropped to a whisper. "...and there's some around here that think he's part of the rebellion against the Queen."

Percy glanced around hurriedly. "Marcus! If anyone hears you-"

"The Queen? You mean the Queen of Hearts?" blurted Alice.

"Keep your voice down!" Marucs growled. "Yes- that Queen. She's really terrible- her Cards roam everywhere, stealing what they like and kidnapping new servants for the Queen's court."

Alice's eyes widened. "Then why doesn't the Rebellion overthrow her? Her subjects must hate her, if she's like that."

"They do." whispered Percy. "But we're all afraid, Alice. No one knows whose family will disappear next- The Diamond Queen leads the Resistance, but even she's afraid to make a move. No one wants to test themselves against the Red One. Not yet."

Their faces were grave, and Percy's eyes had faded to gray again. This time, she was sure she had not imagined it, but did not dare to break the gloomy silence for several minutes.

"I wish there was something I could do to help." she said quietly, after a time. Percy shrugged awkwardly. "There's not much any of us can do right now. But when I get older," he said suddenly, his face hardening into a mask of determination. "I'm gonna join the Resistance. The White Warriors will rise again, just you wait!"

"Shush, Mr. Keep-Your-Voice-Down." growled Marcus. "The Queen has spies everywhere."

And, no sooner had he spoken than a dark figure vanished into the trees.

"What was that?" said Alice shrilly. All of them froze as the trees rustled again. Marcus drew a dirk from his belt, and Percy and Alice snatched fallen tree branches.

"Who goes there? Show yourself!" Marcus said shrilly, trying to sound more brave than he felt.

The scene was quite comical, in all honesty- Three children standing back-to-back, with only two sticks and a dirk between them. Alice's heart beat faster.

Silence reigned in the wood for another minute, and Alice was about to lower her stick when a voice drawled from the trees:

"Dearest me- you're a right bunch of ruffians, aren't you?"

All three of them started, and Alice nearly fell over. The speaker? A fat, purple-and-magenta tabby cat with a wide, toothy grin. His protuberant yellow eyes had an air of madness to them.

"Oh, Cheshire... it's just you." Marcus breathed.

"'Just me?' I should think that I'm a bit more than _just _me. I'm Cheshire by quite a large margin- more Cheshire than any other cat I've met."

And with that, he vanished in a puff of pink smoke. But not a moment later, he reappeared, suspended in midair right in front of Alice's face.

"And who is this?"

"A-Alice." she said hesitantly, fearing another reaction like Squirrelbeard's. But none came- if anything, the Cheshire cat grinned still more widely. "Alice? Alice... that's ecila, spelled backwards. Curious, that you should choose to spell it that way. Personally, I think Ecila is more elegant, but some people simply _have _to do things oddly in this world..." His eyes glinted. "But you're not_ from_ this world, are you?"

Marcus and Percy exchanged a worried glance.

"How did you know?" breathed Alice.

The Cheshire Cat rolled over lazily in midair, peering at her through upside-down eyes. "It's not difficult- The smell of Elsewhere is all over you. And you've got that... Alice look. That fell-three-stories-then-didn't-quite-recover-from-shrinking-myself look."

"I do not!"

He laughed, a rich, silky sound that was both mirthful and a bit condescending. "But you do. You're simply in denial."

"No she doesn't!" snapped Percy, glaring at the Cat. "What did you come here for, anyway?"

The cat rolled his eyes, giving Marcus a sidelong look. "I'm enjoying the scenery- or I was, until the three of you stampeded through my neck of the woods."

He vanished again, and did not reappear. Only his voice could be heard, a whisper echoing through the clearing.

"And, news is spreading that a New Alice has come to Wonderland."

They had to swivel a few times to find him when he next reappeared- this time in the branches of a tree.

"A new Alice would be just what the Diamond Queen needs, wouldn't it?"

"Cheshire!" whispered Marcus frantically. "Don't you dare tell anyone-!"

"Oh, I won't need to- I never get involved in the workings of men and beasts. Frightfully boring creatures, you know." His eyes glinted as he began to fade away- only his toothy grin remained. "Besides... your Alice is no threat to anyone...

"Yet."

And with that, his grin faded and silence ruled again in the clearing.

Alice trembled.

"He won't tell... will he?"

"Of course not." said Percy- a little too quickly. "He might be a bit of a shifty creature... but Cheshire is no traitor."

Marcus's face was dark. "Not now, anyway."

This dark thought was the last they shared as the trees thinned and they finished the long trek to the Warrens. At first, it looked like any other clearing in the Wayfaring Wood, until Alice pushed aside some undergrowth and spotted several large holes in the earth.

"Stop!" came a shrill voice from within. "Who goes there?"

"Alice, Marcus, and the Mad Hatter's apprentice." Marcus called. "We need to talk to a rabbit named Banthrope."

A plump, bespectacled gray rabbit with a cobalt waistcoat and stern face hopped out, arms akimbo. The scene was quite comical- a pompous looking rabbit scowling at them from behind a monocle- and Alice had to bite her lip to keep from laughing aloud.

"Yes? What does mad old Squirrelbeard want with me now?"

"He says that you owe him a favor." said Percy curtly, glaring at the rabbit. He did not take kindly to insults to his master.

"Bah! I owe the old fool nothing. Begone!"

"He says that you ate one of his carrot cakes."

Banthrope's long ears burned red. "I- Blast him. It's been so long, he should have quite forgotten..." he muttered darkly, growing redder with each word. He finally threw his paws into the air.

"Oh, all right! What does he want?"

"He wants you to let Alice use the Warrens from now on." said Percy, gesturing towards her. Banthrope scowled even more deeply.

"No. Absolutely not! I'm not letting some... some Elsewherian brat run about through my family's tunnels-"

Marcus and Percy looked outraged, but Alice cut the rabbit off smoothly.

"Aw, please, Mr. Banthrope? I just wanted... well... I've never been in a proper rabbit warren before. I've seen pictures of them in books, and since I simply adore rabbits, I wanted to see one for myself." She bit her lip in what she hoped was a shy manner. "But I understand- you don't want anyone messing them up."

she sighed theatrically. "It's no big deal...I'll just climb back up the Rabbit Hole."

Banthrope puffed out his chest indignantly. "The Rabbit Hole? A crude piece of workmanship indeed. No, no! You'll do nothing of the sort- I won't allow it. The Warrens are the only way for a proper rabbit-loving lady to travel, mark my words. No, no, Miss Alice, you just come along with me..."

The last thing Alice saw before she descended into the hole were the awestruck looks of Percy and Marcus.

Percy's eyes were wide. "She's good."

"Are you kidding? That was flippin' _awesome_."

_**--**_

The Warrens were a sprawling network of tunnels connecting Wonderland and what the rabbits called "Elsewhere-" tunnels policed and maintained by the Rabbits themselves. She did not see the White Rabbit there, but saw many other waistcoat-clad creatures scurrying about. The Warrens were tall enough for her to stand up in comfortably and lined with softly glowing lanterns. It was a fascinating place, though she was forced to suffer through a brutally long lecture of Banthrope's about the history of Messenger Rabbits. Finally, she emerged into the sunlight. She did not exit at the Rabbit Hole- instead, she found herself blinking back the morning sunlight behind her Grandmother's barn. She walked quickly back to the house, rapidly formulating a story to tell her grandmother and sister. She hated lying to them, but she was sure, in this instance, the truth would not be a good idea. She flung open the door to the kitchen, "I'm sorry- I got lost in the woods, and-"

she froze. Her grandmother and sister were standing around the griddle, shocked expressions on their faces. Alice glanced at the clock and paled.

Only ten minutes had passed since she had fallen down the hole.

"Alice? Alice... are you quite all right?" said Grandmother worriedly.  
"But I... I was getting Amelia... and then there was a rabbit..."

"I'm right here, Alice. I came back a few moments after you left." Amelia looked concerned. "Are you sure you're all right?"

Alice shook herself. "Yeah... yeah, I'm fine. I've just been having funny dreams lately."

Very funny dreams. So time didn't work the same way in Wonderland- somehow, Alice wasn't surprised. But the whole experience was incredibly surreal... but she put a hand on her pocket.

The wrapped-up cake was still there.

"Can I help with breakfast?" she said weakly. Grandmother nodded her assent and the three of them made small-talk as they flipped pancakes- but her heart was not really in it. Her appetite had vanished as quickly as the Rabbit- she could only think of the Mad Hatter's ramblings and Warrens and Caucus Races.


	5. A Caucus Race!

_**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**_

_This chapter is interesting- I've tried to make Percy mad, since he is supposed to be, but writing a barmy 11 year old isn't as easy as it seems. Is he quite mad enough? If not, I shall try to increase the loonyness later on. It's easier as the gang gets older. :D Thanks for all reading+reviewing!~ They make me smile. Smiling authors write new chapters more quickly. Bribery? Yes. Am I ashamed of it? Absolutely not._

_I'm not gonna write a disclaimer- I don't own any Alice in Wonderland material that this is based off of. If I did, I would be Futterwackening.... like the Hatter... XD_

_**CHAPTER FIVE: A Caucus Race!**_

Alice was unable to slip away from the farm for the next few days- her grandmother and Amelia was watching her closely. The three of them had been busying themselves with some "spring cleaning" about the house that Alice could not help but think was a little perfunctory. But finally, on the pretext of feeding the chickens, Alice managed to slip out of the house and disappear back into the Warrens. When she finally emerged into the perpetually bright sunlight, it was at the same clearing that she had met Banthrope in. But aside from that, she had no idea where in Wonderland she might be. A map would be of little help. So she plodded off into the woods, hoping that any moment she might run into Marcus or Percy or someone who could direct her to the Mad Hatter's shop. The Wayfaring Wood was just as busy this afternoon as it had been before- crawling with the garden-variety woodland creatures as well as a number of technicolor halloween creations- was that a winged turtle she just saw underneath a tree? Each section of his shell was a different shade of blue or gold. Or the brightly colored balls of fluff floating on the breeze, their small black eyes and squeaky voices trained on Alice, though she could not understand what they said.

"Curious and curiouser..." she muttered, though not before she reached out to touch one of the fluffy things. She walked on, but slowly this time. She hadn't really been paying attention to her surroundings before. Now, it seems, the more she looked, the more there was to see. The trees that she thought were twisted by some foul blight were really... almost carved. Faces and patterns flowed through the bark, and the trees were thick, tall, and old beyond measure. Shafts of brilliantly gold sunlight lit up the dusky forest floor in a perpetual twilight of rich burgundy, chocolate, and sunshine. The forest was warm and yet disconcerting, whimsical and yet frighteningly mad. It was beautiful and a little scary all at once, like a ghostly memory that Alice could not place. She glanced around for familiar landmarks but found none- she was utterly and completely lost. Lost, but unafraid. She called for her friends a few times, but no response came. She was considering asking a friendly-looking creature for help when the most depraved-looking animal she had ever seen skittered into her path.

He was a hare. A gray-brown hair with course, wiry hair and huge, nervous yellow eyes. His jaws and belly were creamy white, and he was clothed in nothing but ragged overralls. He was a scrawny creature, hunched comically and glancing around the clearing in terror as if every blade of grass had personally set out to kill him.

"Are you... the March Hare?"

"Hare. H-A-R Hare. HAAAAAAAAAAAARE." He spoke in short, sudden sentences, as if each word had snuck up on him. "Yes. HAAAAARE. Funfunfun Fun word." he said, glancing from left to right. "Race! RaceRaceRace. Gotta find it. It was around here... no. Nope. Crumpet." and, seeming satisfied with his conclusion, he returned his gaze to Alice.

"Tree."

Alice wasn't quite sure how to respond to that, so she chose her words carefully. "Yes- tree. There are lots of trees around here. Squirrels and Rabbits and Hares too."

"HAAAAAAAAAAAAAARE." He seemed to enjoy playing with the word in his mouth before he said it.

"Yes. HAAAAAaaaaAAARE." said Alice, trying to imitate his strange manner of speaking. "Hare show Alice Percy? Marcus?"

He cocked his head, letting his long ears flap comically.

"Alice want Weenie Knight...Crazy Boy?"

"Yes. Take Alice to...er... Weenie Knight and Crazy Boy?"

"Let March think." "Yes!" he said, less than a second later. "March has thought hard. RUNRUNRUN!"

This time, Alice was ready when he tore off into the woods. But the Hare was blindingly fast- much more so than Marcus and Percy. It was all she could do just to keep him in sight.

_Blast him- he really is the fastest Hare in the fourth district. _

But he was an endearing little thing, so she did not begrudge it of him. They ran on for several minutes, and when Alice thought surely her lungs must burst, the Hare stopped.

"Alice here. Hare leave!"

"Wait!" panted Alice- Marcus and Percy were nowhere in sight. "Don't just-"

But it was too late- he was already gone. Alice could do nothing but sigh and attempt to catch her breath, sprawled out on the mossy ground. The canopy spun a little above her- she must have really been running. She managed to recover not a moment too soon- she soon heard unmistakable voices floating through the undergrowth.

"I told you, she's-"

And then they stopped. The boys' faces split into wide grins, and they dashed across the clearing to meet her.

"Alice!" exclaimed Percy. "We thought you'd never come back- the Caucus Race starts in half an hour!"

Alice laughed wearily. "It seems that I've been running to catch up more often than usual lately..."

"So you met The March Hare?" ventured Marcus. "I told you he's wicked fast. We'll win this one for sure."

Alice grinned. "Tibbarin Tubshanks won't stand a chance."

By some unspoken signal, they began walking in a westerly direction- at least, that was as much as Alice could tell in the thick forest.

"Is it far, to the Caucus Race?" asked Alice.

Marcus shook his head. "Naw- the fairgrounds are just outside the woods, near the Hatter's shop. That's where the races and holidays and anything else we can think of are celebrated. Tibbarin had his

Unbirthday party there, but the twit made sure not to invite us."

Percy scowled. "I wish we could really Unbirth him. He's a real piece of work, that one..."

"Didn't you say his father was Lord of this district?"

Marcus shrugged. "Yeah. So?"

"Well..." said Alice, "Doesn't that mean his father works for the Queen of Hearts? He must be some kind of a noble, or something."

"It makes him no less of a twit." muttered Percy darkly.

Alice sighed. "I know- but it means that he could make your lives miserable for a long, long time if he wanted to. We might want to... you know... be careful what we say."

She bit her lip. Alice didn't want to sound cowardly, but she would hate to leave her new friends in danger.

Marcus rolled his eyes. "You sound like my master. Besides- he won't dare to do anything to us while Squirrelbeard is around. He might be totally bonkers, but he's more powerful than he looks."

Percy nodded in agreement. "And he'll be attending the race- Tibbarin won't do anything. Lord Tubshanks fears the Hatter."

Alice smiled. She had sensed the barely restrained power in the old man- a gentle force that could spring to life in an instant when roused.

"He's like Albus Dumbledore."

"A friend of yours?"

It took Alice a moment to realize that Percy had been serious. She burst into peals of laughter. "No- no he's a wizard. A book character. He looks a bit like Squirrelbeard, though Dumbledore's beard is longer."

Marcus raised an eyebrow. "You read some strange books, Alice."  
"To be honest, this whole... this whole thing," she gestured to Percy and Marcus and the world in general. "it feels like I've fallen into a storybook. Or one of my drawings, or some kind of crazy dream."

"Dreams and reality are all mixed up here." said Percy simply. "We've all given up trying to see the difference. My last dream was about a giant caterpillar smoking a hookah."

Marcus laughed aloud. "Brilliant, that- but what the devil is a hookah?"

Alice shrugged. "It sounds Arabic. Maybe it's a type of Camel?"

The boys only looked more confused. "A camel?" mused Marcus. "What's that- a fungus?"

"An animal, actually- it's like a tall, light brown horse with a long neck, big feet, and a giant lump on it's back."

Marcus snorted. "That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. Who wants to carry a giant lump around all the time, anyway? I would chuck mine out right away, if I was a camel."

Before Alice could respond to that, Percy shouted, "Look! There it is!"

They had left the forest behind, and passed the small circle of buildings including the Hat shop. A vast, well-trodden field stood before them, with several large, colorful tents erected around a flag-studded racetrack. Alice could see, even from so far away, that it was packed with creatures.

"Come on!" she called, breaking into a run. "It's gotta be starting soon!"

The three of them dashed into the fairgrounds, laughing and dodging past disgruntled dodo birds, trolls, and other, stranger creatures that Alice could not name. They ducked and weaved through the bustle of creatures until they reached the group of creatures arrayed at the starting line of the racetrack- where exactly that was, Alice wasn't entirely sure. There were three different lines labeled "START" "DON'T STOP HERE" and "DON'T PASS THIS LINE." The line labeled "START" was only 12 inches long, and several creatures were pushing and shoving to reach the front of it.  
Alice could not suppress a giggle. "This is going to be one crazy race."

Percy grinned. "Let's hope so."

Marcus suddenly groaned, pointing to a portly figure advancing towards them. "Tubshanks at 14 o'clock."

Though Alice hadn't the slightest idea where 14 o' clock was, it didn't take long for a fat young boy she assumed was Tibbarin to saunter up to them. He was so round, he looked like an egg on stubby legs, his piggy features buried in layers of fat and fine, colorful clothing. His straw-colored hair lay in a pat, like Goliath's, but he was nowhere near as dull-looking. His eyes glittered maliciously, as if he was already forming dreadful rumors to tell about them.

"Ah- Marcus and the Hatter's lackey. Come to watch me win the race again?"

His eyes fell upon Alice and narrowed. "Got yourselves a girlfriend, have you? I doubt she'd run far- she's about as scrawny as your mad little rabbit."

"What did you do to Marchy?" Percy demanded.

Tibbarin only gave a derisive laugh. "You'll get him back when the race is over. Really, you two ought to be ashamed of yourselves- trying to use a Hare to rig the race?"

Marcus grinned mirthlessly. "Yeah- a bit like the time you tripped me, wasn't it?"

The laughter on the spoiled boy's face vanished instantly.

"You'll never be able to prove that. My father funds all the races, and he'll-"

"Help you cheat?" Alice ventured, unable to keep the disgust out of her voice. Tibbarin's face darkened to a patchy maroon. But his eyes were on Percy and Marcus.

"Better watch your little friend, boys. People with big mouths around here tend to have.... accidents..."

"Why, you little-!"

But any further protests were drowned out as a horn sounded and the audience quieted- settling onto benches or crowding against the sidelines. A droning, sonorous voice blared from a raised tent near the other end of the field.

"Attention, Attention! His Most High and Gracious Lord Tubshanks is ready to begin the Caucus Race!" Now, on the count of me...."

The runners jostled for a position on the crowded starting line.

"_You... Us..."_

Alice shot Marcus a sidelong grin, which he returned. They were ready.

"_...ME!"_

And at that moment, several things happened at once. A half-dozen creatures crowded behind the line labeled "DON'T PASS THIS LINE" faltered and stopped, tripping the others crowded behind the 12 inch "START" line. This created a massive entanglement of squaking dodos and thrashing limbs- a glorious, ridiculous chaos. Alice could hardly run for laughing, but she soon had to conserve her breath- she would need it all for the mad dash ahead. She was running neck-and-neck with Marcus and a bright blue flamingo creature. Percy had soon fallen behind, and Tibbarin Tubshanks was nowhere to be seen.

_Good. He must be caught in the pileup. _

So they dashed on in a friendly rivalry between companions- pounding the hard-packed earth and laughing back and forth, ignoring the roar of the crowd.

"Getting tired, Marcus?"

"Never! Maybe we should slow down and let Percy catch up, eh?"

"Not on your life!" cried a voice from behind. The speedy pounding of feet behind him warned them of Percy's arrival- a tired but roughish grin on his face.

Alice giggled. "You look winded, Perce- maybe we should lay you down for a nap! We'll wait for you at the finish line!"

She glanced around for a moment- the Dodo was gone. It must have been unable to keep up.

"Come to think of it- where_ is_ the finish line?"

Marcus laughed. "You really are strange, Alice- there isn't a finish line! It's a Caucus Race!"

And no sooner had Marcus spoken then they passed over the starting lines, the tangled mass of creatures gone. One lap down- heaven only knew how many to go. But Alice cared very little- she had always been a good runner, and she was having fun. She finally set eyes on Tibbarin, but he was almost half a lap behind them.

"Ha! We're practically lapping that Tibbarin!" Alice laughed. But Marcus and Percy looked grave. "You mean... he's on the course?"

"DUCK!"

Alice immediately hunched over, but not before a heavy object collided with her chest. She lay sprawled out on the track, dazed.

A white duck was sitting placidly on her chest.

"Quack."

"Quack indeed." muttered Alice, struggling to her feet. Percy and Marcus were rushing towards her.

"What was-?"

Alice glanced over her shoulder- Tibbarin was gaining on them.

"A duck got me. Thank you, whoever shouted, but it wasn't much help."

They took to running again. Tibbarin was only about twenty yards away- far too close.

"Come on!"

And the teasing stopped, and they ran with pounding hearts- and not just from the running.

Now they were always on the lookout for traps laid by the sides of the track- or fast-flying birds. Alice was sure she knew where the Dodo bird had gone now- poor thing. But she had barely finished thinking thus when the bird in question shot out from the stands, bowling the three of them over and pinning Percy to the ground.

Alice ran towards him, but Marcus yanked her back. "No, Alice! We've got to finish! He's nearly-" But at that moment, a pair of ducks overtook him and he flapped his arms wildly, trying to rid himself of the flapping, quacking little devils.

"SUCKERS! I hope your little rabbit likes his cage!"

Tibbarin made a rude gesture as he passed them, which Alice was tempted to return. But she instead occupied herself with seizing her jacket and beating the ducks away from Marcus before rounding on the Dodo.

"Get away from him!" she shrieked, giving him a few solid whacks with her coat. The bird soon trotted away, and the three of them were left alone to run.

"I hope Tibbarin has a little 'accident.'" Marcus snarled, narrowing his eyes at the waddling figure ahead of them. Alice could not help but agree.

Percy said nothing, but a feral snarl was set on his face.

Another few laps passed much the same way- the three of them would put on a burst of speed, catch up to Tibbarin, and be felled by another underhanded trick. No matter how they tried to avert them, it was always the same. And there was no finish line in sight- they ran on forever and ever in monotonous circles.

"This was supposed to be fun." she growled finally, forcing herself off of the ground for the umpteenth time.

"It used to be." muttered Marcus. "Until a few years ago, when Perce and I started winning."

"But... you said this race had no winner!"

"What?" gasped Percy, plodding along wearily behind them.

"Forget it." she muttered.

A horn sounded in the distance.

"What was that?"

"The finish tone. The race will be over soon."

Alice didn't even bother asking how long that would be. She just kept mechanically running, any hope of winning or having fun driven from her mind. She just wanted to stop running and go home. And just as she had thought these things, Tibbarin approached the last half of the track, to the wild applause of the audience.

"At least we'll be able to get Tibbarin back for what he said." Marcus sighed.

"What... did he say?" Percy gasped.

Alice glared at Tibbarin's waddling silhouette. "He said something about Marchy liking his cage-"

But she regretted it almost instantly after he said it, for then something very strange happened.

Percy's eyes burned red, and he let out a wild cry, tearing off with speed Alice didn't think was possible.

"Percy, NO!" Marcus cried, but it was too late- he had finally found his target.

And, like one snapping out of a weary dream only to wake to a nightmare, Alice could do nothing but watch the scene unfolding before her in terror.

Percy had thrown himself at Tibbarin and the two of them were wrestling on the ground like a pair of beasts, kicking and punching. Livid with rage, Marcus threw himself into the fray, and spectators began to pour onto the field, shouting and punching and extrapolating the melee. The Caucus Race had turned into a riot, and it was all Alice could do to fight through the churning masses and try to find her warring friends.

"PERCY?! MARCUS?!" But her voice was lost in the tumult of the fight. It seemed an eternity of terror and noise before a blast of pain hit the back of her head and she was shunted to the ground. Everything was swirling color and red spots, but the noise of the fight had been silence. There was nothing but darkness.... darkness creeping at the corners of her vision...

"ENOUGH!!!"

Her eyes snapped open as the sound flashed into her ears, reverberating in her head as well as in her ears. Everyone on the track froze in horror as Squirrelbeard decended upon them, his face twisted into a mask of cold fury. Even Alice was terrorstruck at the flames dancing in his burning brown eyes.

"What devilry is this?" he snarled. "Fighting. At a festival. You ought to be ashamed of yourselves. OUT!!"

And even the heralds of Lord Tubshanks hastened to obey. Only Marcus, Percy, and Tibbarin stayed where they were, frozen in their brutal struggle. It took but a moment for the old Hatter to throw them apart. "WHAT. WERE. YOU. THINKING?" he shouted.

Percy's eyes still burned red. "He's got Marchy!"

"He hasn't got anything of value, least of all the March Hare." Squirrelbeard growled. "I've seen to that."

Tibbarin puffed out his chest. "You haven't seen to anything! This is my father's race, and he'll-"

"He'll go boil his head. And if he doesn't know how, I'll be more than willing to do it for him."

Alice had to admire Squirrelbeard's nerve. Tibbarin, however, did not. But he did not say anything further, catching the fury in Squirrelbeard's eyes.

"Be off with you." he growled. Tibbarin obeyed, but not before shooting one last dark look over his shoulder at Marcus. The young squire took a step towards him, but Squirrelbeard seized his shoulder.

"Don't even think about it."

He whirled around, not even bothering to look over his shoulder as he spat. "Back to the shop- all three of you. We're not finished with this."

Even though the Mad Hatter had not been yelling at her, Alice still trembled. She followed as the Hatter led them out of the fairgrounds and back to the little store.

The sun had nearly set.


	6. Reprimand and Reverie

_**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**_

_This chapter is short- but I felt it was important. These chapters are going up eye-blindingly fast, but it's mostly because I had it all written already. It all just needed a bit of editing before uploading. XD I definitely can't write this fast all at once without... like... exploding... O____O Read and Review, please? :D _

_P.S: Big changes next chapter. This stuff is all intro- the real adventure will soon begin!_

_**CHAPTER SIX: Reprimands and Reverie**_

The Hatter slammed the door behind them almost the moment they edged in.

"Sit." he snapped, pointing at a row of stools. Marcus scowled.

"You're not my master."

Alice gasped, but Marcus had become reckless with rage. The Hatter glared right back at him.

"I may not be your master, but Sir Gregory is. And he'll hear about this, make no mistake... and your extra help with _swordplay_."

Alice could feel herself blushing.

"Sit!"

This time, all three of them obeyed.

The Hatter rounded on his own apprentice, looking more lucid and angry than Alice had ever seen him.

"A Caucus Race. So this is what the three of you have been doing in the afternoons? Training for one of Tubshanks' ridiculous spectacles?"

Percy scowled. "We couldn't just let him keep winning. Not like that."

The Hatter scoffed. "And what has this proved, Percy? Have you won? Has Tibbarin become less than a liar and a cheat? No. You have done nothing but sink to his level."

"They might have killed Marchy!"

"And they might have killed _you_!" the Hatter cried, jabbing Percy in the chest.

"Did you think of that? Fates above, Percy- the three of you have already grievously insulted the most powerful man in this district- how long do you think it will take for Lord Tubshanks to send Cards down to the shop? A week? Two?"

Marcus shook his head. "They won't do anything. They fear you."

Marcus quailed under The Hatter's hard stare.

"There are greater things to fear in this land than me."

"But... but Tibbarin cheated!" Alice cringed at how feeble the argument sounded. "He...set ducks on us..."

"Lord Tubshanks is one of the Queen's favorites- _she'll_ set plenty more than ducks on you."

The Hatter sighed, suddenly seeming a hundred years older.

"How indeed is a raven like a writing desk? I daren't say I know the answer, for what if it isn't the right one?"

He seemed to talk to himself more than anyone else. When his gaze finally returned to them, it was of a tired old man.

"I sent the March Hare home. They didn't do much to him- they only put him in a cage. He was shaken more than anything. But it's no justification for what you three have done- yes, even you, Alice, since you participated in the race."

He gave them all a long, hard look. "There are all kinds of bad people in this world, and we will never be quite rid of them. They're like weeds- they'll never stop growing, but if you don't stop pulling them, they'll choke everything and destroy your garden. You can't try to choke them back- you'll never outgrow a weed. You can only become one."

And with that, he got up from the table and left the room, leaving the three of them in shamefaced silence.

"Never again." said Percy quietly.

"What?"  
"I won't ever lose control like that again." His eyes were a misty blue as they stared into hers.

"What do you mean?"

"I almost became a weed."

Marcus laid a hand on his shoulder. "Aw, come on- don't take old Squirrelbeard's rants to heart." he said, the smile on his face looking rather forced. "He- He doesn't mean it. We're not like stupid old Tibbarin."

But Percy only shook his head, muttering 'never again' over and over. Marcus finally gave up.

Alice sighed. "I should be getting home."

"Me too." said Marcus flatly. So, with halfhearted goodbyes, they left Percy sitting on the chair and left the shop, plodding towards the Warrens in silence. Marcus never offered to walk Alice there- it was decided in silent agreement. The beauty of the woods in twilight were lost on Alice- she just wanted to get home and get to sleep.

Alice was not in the mood for small-talk, but when she'd reached the threshold of the Warrens, a question occurred to her.

"Marcus... have Percy's eyes ever... _changed_? Color, I mean?"

The look Marcus gave her was grave. "Yes. They're blue when he's sad, gray when he's worried, and a host of other colors besides. He can't help it- it just happens."

He paused for a moment.

"But when his eyes burn red... it is better to be far, far away."


	7. Five Years Later

_**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**_

_This one's a bit long- but it's tempered with humor, so I hope it will be bearable. _

**CHAPTER SEVEN: _Five Years Later_**

Despite the terrible events of that afternoon, Alice returned the next day. And the next, and the next, until they blended into a dreamlike cloud of happiness. Squirrelbeard had confined Percy to the shop, true, but Marcus and Alice always managed to sneak him out for a little while each day- laughing and playing as only children can. Eventually, Squirrelbeard gave up trying to punish his wayward apprentice. The three children were soon thick as thieves, and summer was over all too quickly. But Alice always returned- always. Now each summer had become a delight, rather than a refuge. Alice was willing to survive months of torturous loneliness and jeers to spend a glorious summer with her friends- her only friends in the world. She learned much about Wonderland, it's customs, and it's inherent madness. But most of all, she learned to despise the Queen of Hearts. It was her cruelty that sullied time spent with her friends, that slowly but surely sucked the color out of their world. But the Rebellion still waited, and so must they.

Alice was growing up. And for the first time in her life, she was enjoying it.

--

Alice was sixteen years old today. Sixteen- the pinnacle of her teenage existence.

Somehow, it was a bit of a letdown. She was just as bored in Math class at sixteen as she had been at fifteen- and if anything, the chattering girls around her were just as stupid this year as the last.  
"So when does the party start, Lexy?" one giggled, flipping her eye-blindingly-blonde hair. It fanned out in an interesting shape- about the most interesting part of these ridiculous, ambitionless females.

Lexy giggled back. She was like an airbrushed fashion model, her copper-colored hair lying perfectly in place. The only thing she lacked was a, like, soul. "The party starts at five- and my Dad's gonna show everyone my new car!"

The obsequious teenagers squealed with delight. Alice growled irritably, glancing at the clock. Five more minutes until the end of the period- thank heavens it was the last one that day. Alice didn't know how much more gossip about Alexis Grinsley's party she could stand. "Everyone" was invited, apparently- everyone except Alice. But she cared very little. She had much better things to do. What did she care about Alexis' stupid party? Today was the last day of the school year- another torturous year was behind her. Now, she had to worry about nothing more arduous than what riddles to exchange with Squirrelbeard this year- she had thought up plenty of good ones. This time, she would stump the old man. She glanced down at her paper- the margins were filled with doodles. She had always loved to draw- particularly with charcoal or pastels, but pencils would do in a pinch. With nothing in particular in mind, she started sketching. She watched the...people? Yes, people- take shape in the corner of her paper, fragmented ideas slowly connecting into a coherent whole that flowed out of her pencil.

They were humans. But who? Alice herself was not quite sure- she felt as if she was watching the scene through the eyes of someone else.

But, over the last few years, she had gotten used to odd happenings. When she'd finally finished, she examined her work, and could not suppress a smile.

She knew these boys.

One had tousled, streaked hair that hung just baaarely in front of his eyes. Alice wondered at the eyes- they were so strange. So luminous and bright and deep, all at the same time. The more she looked, the more she seemed to see. He was wonderful in a strange way, with pronounced cheekbones, deep shadows under his eyes, and a face that was mature, yet... "off" in some inexplicable way. Childish? No. Mad was a better word. The other boy was what the hopeless females would call "gorgeous-" he was muscular and pale with dark, tousled hair and a long cloak. A sword hung at his belt.

In essence, She was staring at a passable recreation of her best friends: Percivus Bobinhatton and Marcus Raine.

"Hey Alice- who's _that?_"

Alice jumped- the cluster of girls had moved to hover around her desk. Before she could get her bearings, Lexy had snatched the paper.

"That's really good- the streaky-hair kid looks like Connor. And the cute one is Ryan Libbing, right?"

Another girl laughed derisively. "Ryan Libbing? And Alice? He's totally out of her league."

Lexy grinned- a vicious, mischievious thing that was in no way friendly, but too sweet to get her in trouble.

"Should I go and show him?"

"Don't be ridiculous. It's not Connor or Ryan!" said Alice, a little too quickly. She hadn't even shown her _friends_ the drawings she had made of them- Alice wasn't about to let these stupid girls spread them around.

"Then who are they?"

"Yeah- who's the cute one?"

Alice glared at Lexy and tried to snatch the paper, but she was too quick. Alice's hands were tied.

"They're nobody." she growled. "I... made them up."

Just then, the bell rang and students flooded into the hallways, especially rowdy and noisy on this, the last day of school. Alice paid little attention to any of it- her mind was swirling with thoughts of her friends and Wonderland and White Rabbits.

But Alice managed to snatch the paper before it fluttered to the ground.

--

"Alice? Is something wrong?"

Alice started, nearly banging her head against the roof of the old car. Amelia had glanced up from her driving for a moment to stare worriedly at her sister.

"You haven't said a word since we set out."

Alice sighed. She had been reliving the last few minutes of her sophomore year in her head- particularly the bit about the picture...

"Alice, you're doing it again."

Alice shook herself, trying to drive the memory from her mind.

"Sorry."

"Are you having trouble in school?"

"No."

Alice's thoughts wandered back to the drawing again. She had shared everything with her friends- her dream of becoming an artist, her favorite books (Though Percy was more interested in them than Marcus) and most of her drawings. But she couldn't bear to show them portraits she had made of them. Why? She trusted her friends absolutely- and she poured her soul into every picture she made of them. The drawings were beautiful. But somehow, she feared, they wouldn't be quite good enough. How could she capture people so strange and yet normal, so transparent and enigmatic, in a single, fleeting image?

Oh, how she wished she'd stop contradicting herself.

Amelia sighed, shaking her from her thoughts as the farm loomed in the distance. Alice's heart skipped a little with excitement- another great summer was about to begin.

When they pulled right in front of the little white house, Amelia helped Alice unload her things. Among them was a long duffel bag, containing (though no one but Alice knew it.) a long, sharpened sword. Marcus had been teaching her to fight for years, and all three of them enjoyed the occasional round of sparring. With sharpened blades. Marcus claimed that there was no fun in fighting if there wasn't a chance that you could get killed- it was mad, truly, but fun. Alice had not always escaped unscathed, though- the thin scars on her arms were difficult to explain to the school counselor. Pretending to be mentally unstable, though, had been quite fun. But Amelia would not be so easily fooled, so she had always been careful about hiding the sword bag.

Until this year, when Amelia picked it up just a little too quickly.

The seam split and a bright sword fell onto the driveway with a metallic clatter.

Amelia and Alice stared at it for a long, tense moment. This was going to be difficult to explain.

"Alice... is that... a sword?"

Alice wished she could say no. Amelia looked like she was on the verge of either fainting, or pounding Alice flat.

"It's not a big deal, okay?"

"Of course it's a big deal! You're carrying a _weapon_ to your Grandmother's house! It's like... it's like keeping a flamethrower in your closet!"

"Blast. I thought no one knew about that."

"Alice!" snapped Amelia, stifling her sister's giggles. "This isn't funny!"

"Oh, Amelia- stop worrying. It's a sword, not a flamethrower. And it's not even sharp."

That, of course, was a lie. But Amelia didn't need to know that.

"Sharp or not, what on earth are you doing, bringing it to Grandmother's house?!" Her half-sister's voice was rising.

"Sshh!" whispered Alice frantically, eyeing the door. "She'll hear!"

Amelia glared at her. There was no choice- she would not give in without an answer.

"It's... it's something my boyfriend gave me. He works at that crazy costume store, you know... downtown?"

That was also a lie- a ridiculous, flimsy lie.

"Manigan's?"

"Yeah. Manigan's. He got this for my birthday and I wanted to show Grandma- you know how she gets around antiques. I thought she'd like it."

_An antique sword from a costume shop. You really are a crappy liar, Alice. _

But just then, Grandmother shuffled out of her front door.

"Oh- hey grandma!" she said, a little too quickly. She pulled Amelia into a good-bye hug (After all, her half sister was nearly twenty- too old to be staying with her grandmother.)

"We're not done talking about this, Alice."

"Oh, yes we are."

They both kept silly grins plastered on their faces, though, so grandmother wouldn't suspect a fight. The last thing Alice remembered thinking before she stepped onto the porch was that her friends would have found this scene highly amusing.

--

She'd greeted her grandmother, helped her make an excellent supper, and slipped out of the house that night. It was still midafternoon in Wonderland, as it so often was. It was Time's favorite part of the day, as Percy had told her. She smiled as she spied Banthrope loitering near the back of the barn- her favorite entrance.

"Waiting for someone?"

He only flashed her a roughish grin as they descended into the Warrens.

--

Alice found her friends soon enough, waiting for her in a shady clearing. It seemed they had been waiting a while- Percy was sound asleep and Marcus was nodding off beside him, muttering about thrusts and parrys and more of Squirrelbeard's ridiculous riddles. Alice could not suppress a giggle.

"You two sleep like a couple of logs."

Marcus's eyes snapped open, and he suddenly whipped his sword out of his sheath.

"STAND AND FIGHT, YOU- Alice!" he cried, suddenly coming-to. He nudged Percy with his foot.

"Hey- Perce! Alice is here!"

"Whaa?" he muttered, blinking awake. "I wasn't aslee- wait- Alice?" A grin split Percy's face.

"Alice! You're back!"

Alice threw him into a tight hug, giving one to Marcus as well.

"Gosh, I've missed you guys." she laughed. "I've got your book, Percy. You said you wanted to finish Twilight."

"I did indeed, though I'm thinking of siding with Team Jacob."

"You haven't even read the second book."

"So? Edward has too many letters."

Alice smiled. Squirrelbeard and Percy were very close, and shared each other's eccentric habits- one of which was a penchant for names with five letters.

She tossed the book into his open arms. "How's Squirrelbeard?"

"The same." muttered Marcus darkly. "He and his accursed riddles. Sometimes, I swear he changes the answers on me..."

"You're just jealous because you can't solve them." teased Percy, nudging his friend in the ribs. "They're not that difficult, you know."

"Then how's a bloody raven like a writing desk?" Marcus growled, running a hand through his dark hair. Percy shrugged.

"I don't know yet. I don't think Master Squirrelbeard knows himself. We can't ask him now, though, since he says he's having guests."

Marcus gave him a sidelong glance. "Do you reckon they're part of-?"

"Shhh!" Alice hissed. "No Resistance talk here!"

Percy dropped his voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "I more than reckon, Marcus. The way Squirrelbeard and Sir Gregory were talking... Squirrelbeard was almost sane. That's never a good sign. But I don't know anything else."

Dark silence reigned in the clearing for a moment, until Percy finally broke it, giving Alice a searching look. "You've gotten taller. Can you still fit in the Warrens?"

Alice laughed. "No. I have to be shrunk and regrown- not a very pleasant process.

Alice blushed. "Nothing of that nature, I can assure you!" she retorted indignantly. "And what have you two been doing all this time- holding tea parties and flirting with the March Hare?"

Percy threw up his hands in mock despair.

"She knows! Marchy will forever be deprived of our roughish charms..."

"Oh, quit it!" Marcus laughed, elbowing his friend in the ribs. "Marchy's not that attractive, nor is he, you know, female."

Alice couldn't suppress a giggle. Marcus glanced at the scabbard strung through her belt.

"I see you've still got the sword. Did your Grandmother notice?"

Alice bit her lip. "No, but... Amelia did."

They gasped, and Alice added quickly. "But I didn't tell her it was from Wonderland. No one knows."

Her friends visibly relaxed. "Thank the Fates." Percy breathed.

Marcus gave Alice a sideways smile, drawing his sword. "Ready for a round of sparring?"

Alice grinned and drew her own. "I was born ready. Perce?"

"I'll pass- I want to finish this... strange book." He dangled her copy of Twilight in front of him like a dead thing.

Wordlessly, Alice and Marcus began circling each other. For several minutes, all was silence, save for the rasp of a turning page.

Then the two fighters exploded to life and steel crashed on steel. They traded blows so quickly, their swords were a blur of flashing metal. But they grinned like a pair of naughty children.

"Honestly, Alice- I'm getting a bit bored. Is this really the best you can do?"

She whirled around him, and he just barely jumped a slash to the legs.

"Oh, no- I'm just getting warmed up. Say, is that a Dodo over there?"

But Marcus did not look up. He only laughed, driving Alice back several paces.

"That's the oldest trick in the book, Alice!"

"And what book would that be?"

"Definitely not this one- that's for sure." muttered Percy, glaring into the pages. "The baseball scene is so blasted disappointing."

Alice ducked a wild swipe of Marcus' sword. "And why is that, Perce?"

"Bella was supposed to die, darn it! That's why! _Completely_ anticlimactic. I mean- evil vampires? Why couldn't she be struck by lightning, or sniped by a flying baseball?"

Alice sighed, rolling her eyes dramatically. "Because then Stephanie Meyer couldn't write three more books."

"Yes she could. The next one could be called 'Edward finds a reliable girlfriend.'"

Marcus roared with laughter. "Honestly, Percy, you need to stop reading Alice's books. I think they're negatively affecting your mind."

Percy grinned. "Far too late for that, I'm afraid. Though I did rather like The Chronicles of Narnia."

"Why is that?"

"Everyone is barking mad."

The three of them laughed, alternately teasing each other and answering Percy's questions. But neither Marcus or Alice made any headway in their duel- they were far too easily matched. Whenever one gained ground, the other would push right back. They even tired at about the same rate, so there was no chance of an endurance battle. All they could do was search for an opening.

And when Marcus swung his sword in a bit too high an arc, Alice saw one. She bashed his wrist with the hilt of her sword, sending his blade flying across the clearing. Within an instant, her sword was pricking his throat.

"Dead." she said simply, a triumphant smile on her face. But she soon lowered her blade, and Marcus trooped across the clearing, sifting through the undergrowth for his missing sword.

"Sheesh, Alice- you're nearly as good as I am, now."

She raised her eyebrows, joining him in his search. "Nearly?"

"Okay, just as good. But where did that blasted sword go?"

Alice ran her hands through the ferns and brushed past something hard. "Found it, Mar-"

She froze. The moment she had laid hands on the sword, Marcus had reached over to grab it, and, quite by accident, his hand closed around hers. The momentary touch had choked the words in Alice's mouth, and Marcus was blushing furiously.

"Sorry-"

"No, no. It's fine." she muttered, as both of them slid their swords back into their sheaths. The color fleeing from her face was not from embarrassment or passion- it felt more like... foreboding. Was that normal? Alice didn't think she'd ever asked that question before.

Percy remained blissfully oblivious to the whole thing, muttering "Stupid" and "No tea anywhere!" under his breath.

After a long, awkward silence, Marcus managed to ask, "Goliath and Macbeth treating you all right, Alice?"

She shrugged, trying not to think too hard about what had happened. "They still house me and feed me- it's about all I can expect from them."

Percy glanced up from the book. "You're always talking about how much you hate Elsewhere- why don't you just pack it up and live here?"

Marcus nodded, "Yeah- Sir Gregory won't care about housing one more person. You can stay with me and the other paiges until you find your own place."

Alice smiled- they'd had this conversation before. "I have every intention of moving to Wonderland- but not until I'm eighteen. I have to finish high school and get a few art classes in. Amelia will kill me if I don't spend at least_ some_ time in college."

she sighed. "You guys know that. And I still haven't explained Wonderland to my family."

Percy nudged her gently, abandoning Twilight. "C'mon, Alice- you know time doesn't quite line up here. They won't even know that you're gone."

She silenced him with a long, solemn look. "Amelia will notice. And we've been very, very lucky about time so far."

She patted Percy's shoulder, though she addressed both of them. "Believe me, I can't wait to get out of my parents' house. But I've gotta finish a few things first- and Amelia deserves a proper explanation, when the time comes."

Marcus' eyes narrowed in concentration. "Amelia's your sister, right?"

Alice nodded.

"So, why can't you bring her along, too?"

Alice wasn't sure just how to answer that question. The truth was, she had tried before to bring Amelia to Wonderland. But for some reason, she was unable to pass through the Warrens. The Rabbits didn't stop her- she was just unable to see the hole, and unable to pass it's threshold- like an invisible glass wall was holding her in place.

"I've tried. She... she can't get through the Warrens." Alice finally managed to say. "I've talked to Squirrelbeard about it- he said that only certain people can get into Wonderland. People like me."

She blinked, staring at her friends with wide blue eyes- not quite worried, but a little confused.

"Is that why everyone's been calling me 'the New Alice?'"

Her friends suddenly looked very, very uncomfortable.

"Can't you tell me?"

"Yes." said Marcus suddenly. Percy looked scandalized, but Marcus cut him off before he could say anything.

"It's only fair. She has to know what she's getting into."

_Now _Alice was worried. "What are you talking about?"

Marcus wouldn't meet her eyes, and stared at the ground as he spoke. "Wonderland isn't that old, Alice. It's only been around for about 200 years- and it was created by a little girl named Alice Carroll. The oldest people in this world were her creations- Absolem the caterpillar, the Queens- all of them. New generations have sprung up since then, of course- but every so often another little girl named Alice wanders in. And she always makes big changes around here."

He paused, and Percy took up the narrative. "The first Alice made Wonderland, the second slew the Jabberwockey and set the Outlands straight, though they fell apart later, and the third nearly overthrew the Queen of Hearts and formed the Rebellion. And the fourth..."

he gave Alice a long look. "The fourth has yet to prove herself."

"That's what the Queen of Diamonds wants, isn't it?" said Alice quietly. "She thinks that I'm going to overthrow the Red One."

They nodded. "That's why everyone wants to know about you, Alice. They want to know what side you're on."

She sighed, squeezing her eyes shut tight. Her head was spinning with everything she had heard... She knew that the Red One was evil, and that the Rebellion wanted to overthrow her. But it had always felt so surreal, so far away. Like a storm on the other side of a vast, silent sea. She knew it was there, but yet, it didn't feel quite... there. There and not there? It was a mad thought, to be sure, but this was a mad place.

_They want to know what side you're on...._

She had come to Wonderland to escape the warfare in her home. Would even her refuge be torn apart? Worse- would she have to be part of it? Could she handle that responsibility? So much counted on her...

_I'm only sixteen. How can I do this?_

"Alice?"

She opened her eyes, frowning at the worried expressions on her friends' faces. Somehow, though, she managed to force it into a smile.

"I'm fine. It's just-"

But Alice never finished that sentence, because the White Rabbit dashed into the clearing, chest heaving and eyes wild.

"Come quickly! The Hatter's shop has been attacked!"

--------------

_**AUTHOR'S FOOTNOTE:**_

_HA HA! Did you see that last one coming? _

_Yes?_

_Okay- so I lied. The REAL action comes next. But I swear- we'll get there! And LOL- it was fun trying to think of Twilight from Percy's skewed perspective. _

_There was some confusion about timing- I'd like to point out that Alice has been spending summers with her friends every year, since she was eleven. So she's known them for about five years. The Rebellion has been underground this whole time. Alice, Percy, and Marcus have all been sparring since Alice was about 13 (Marcus since he was about 7, as befits a knight in training.) So they're getting good at this sword fighting thing. This will be more important later... :D Much Later. _

_Please read and review! All who do are much loved!~ 3_

___


	8. Fairfarren, All

_**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**_

_We'll start with The Knave's POV. Note: NOT STAYNE THIS TIME! A NEW KNAVE! But don't worry, Stayne fans... if all goes according to plan, we may yet run into dear Ilosovic...._

_**CHAPTER EIGHT: Fairfarren, All**_

The Knave of Hearts was thoroughly enjoying himself.

He had surrounded the Mad Hatter and the Knight with a circle of Cards- armor clanking and red steel flashing in the sunlight. The only sounds he enjoyed more than marching Cards were terrified screams- but neither of his intended victims were screaming. Not yet. He would have to wait. But he would not deprive himself of some gloating; not after he had caught his oldest enemies so very neatly.

"Gregory. Alexander." he drawled, gracefully stepping off of his horse. The men in question were standing back-to-back in the center of the yard, weapons drawn. Squirrelbeard was just as he always had been- a madman from head to toe. But Gregory's hair was white and longer than the Knave had remembered, a close-cut beard running down from his ears. His armor was silver and shining- a stark contrast to his friend's purple ensemble. But that was how they had always been- different and the same. Darkness and Light. It was maddening. But the fact that fear had not entered their eyes- that was worse. They were completely and utterly unreadable, and the Knave hated it. He wanted to play with his food before he ate it.

But he wouldn't betray his anger- not just yet.

"It's been a long time." he said simply.

The Knight's gray eyes narrowed. "Not nearly long enough."

Blast him. The Knave's carefully controlled temper began to slip as he fingered the scar that ran from his left temple to his right cheek- given to him by Sir Gregory himself. Blast that Knight and his Hatter.

But Squirrelbeard seemed oblivious to their silent exchange, smiling as widely as he ever had.

"Charming birthmark you've got there, Valerus- I've heard the noblewomen simply _adore _battle wounds. Personally, I think a severed head would suit you better, but that's just me. Perhaps a matching scar for the other side of your face?"

"Don't taunt me, old man." the Knave snarled, though he was just as old as they were. "Word has reached the Red Palace that a New Alice has come to Wonderland."

He let his eyes slide over Gregory, then back to the Hatter. "But that's not even the best part- _some_ people think that she's been fooling about with your little lackeys." Squirrelbeard kept an uncharacteristically close guard on his emotions- but even the Knave could feel the rage boiling close to the surface. For the first time, a flash of fear coursed through his veins. The Hatter smiled wider.

"Red Palace, New Alice? That's a lovely rhyme." Squirrelbeard's tone was mild, but his eyes flashed dangerously.

The Cards winced a little- no one wanted to test the wrath of the Mad Hatter.

"Your games aren't fooling anyone." the Knave growled. "Alice has been seen in Wonderland, and we've managed to track her to your apprentices- your shop, even."

He snapped his fingers, and the ring of Cards tightened.

"You can't protect her, Alex. Nor you, Gregory. She _will_ be brought before the Queen of Hearts."

"Over our dead bodies." the Knight snarled.  
"Oh good- he's finally catching on. Let me put it to you this way..." Valerus casually tested the edge of his sword. "Tell us where she is, renounce your ties to the Resistance, and we'll let you live. Continue to harbor wanted persons, well... I'll make good on Gregory's promise."

The Knave grinned, flourishing his blade. "But I'll make sure to kill your darling little boys first."

He had but a second's warning before Squirrelbeard lunged for him, swearing in Outlandish.

"You slurvish rat! Touch Percy or Marcus, and I'll be sure to give you the slowest death I can imagine!" Only Sir Gregory's fast hold on his shoulder prevented him from attacking the Knave then and there.

"YOU MURDEROUS, MALICIOUS, _MONSTROUS _PIECE OF-"

"Alex, stop it!"

The knight might have been trying to restrain his friend, but he too wanted nothing more than to tear their captor limb from limb. The Knave could see it in his burning silver eyes.

He grinned wickedly at them.

"Tut, tut, Hatter, where are your manners?"

And just like that, his sword flicked to the old man's throat.

"I'll ask you one last time." he snarled, his smile evaporated._ "Where is Alice?"_

_--_

Alice, in fact, was running at a breakneck pace through the Wayfaring Wood. The three of them tore off into the woodlands the moment the White Rabbit had spoken, nearly outpacing him in their haste.

It was speed born of fear. And Alice could not stop her heart from racing in time with her brain- every terrible thing that could have befallen the old Hatter, possible and impossible, rushing through her terrified mind.

But it was not the gray of fear clouding in Percy's eyes.

It was the bloody red of unquenchable rage. Alice almost pitied whomever had attacked Squirrelbeard- they had no idea whom they were dealing with.

Mad hatmakers were not people to be trifled with.

Marcus's face was just as tight with rage, though his furtive glances at Percy were filled with worry, not anger. He and Alice both shared the same fear: that Percy's rage would be too much for him, and he would lose control. Last time, he had started a riot- that was when he was ten. This time...

She knew that he would never, ever hurt his friends, but if Squirrelbeard's attacker had managed to hurt him or his guests, they would make mincemeat of his apprentice. Of all three of them.

But they had to try. Alice did not know what she would do when she reached the shop- She had never used her sword to kill anything. Ever. But any doubt had been shoved to the back of her mind; she was only aware of a dire need to reach the shop. For whatever reason, they could not afford to be late to this, a most important date.

But nothing could have prepared Alice for what she saw there.

Blood. Blood everywhere.

Alice nearly threw up on the spot as she took in the scene before her- and she could feel her eyes stretching wide with shock.

Oh, how she wished it was a dream after all. How she wished she could wake up from this nightmare.

Sir Gregory lay sprawled out on the ground, his throat ripped open by some ghastly blow. His blood spilled onto his armor and stained the little yard- it's garden lying trampled and disheveled. A strangled yell emanated from Marcus as he beheld his master, but Alice was hardly aware of it. She was hardly aware of anything but the one terrible thought possessing her mind.

Dead. He was dead.

Almost against her will, her eyes slid over the rest of the yard. Innumerable footprints crushed the grass, crisscrossing all around the garden. A pool of scarlet blood tainted the ground beside Gregory, and more was splattered against the wall of the house. But Squirrelbeard's body was nowhere in sight.

The old man was still alive.

"He must be inside..."

Alice made for the door, but Percy had already kicked it down, thrusting his way into the shop. She made to follow him, but hesitated. Marcus still knelt alone beside his master, his eyes blank and unseeing. She couldn't leave him alone.

But then she remembered the red in Percy's eyes. He was in the most danger now- a danger to himself.

She gave Marcus one last sorrowful glance and followed Percy inside.

The store was dark- unnaturally dark, as it was still midafternoon outside. The darkness twisted the displays and machines into sinister shapes, but Alice welcomed it.

Because it almost, _almost _hid the ghastly trail of blood splattering the floor and walls.

Alice didn't know quite how she made it to the other side of the room, but she soon found herself kneeling beside Percy, staring down at Squirrelbeard's still figure. Blood soaked his chest, blossoming from a deep, ragged stab wound. His jacket was gone and his injury was thrown into horrid relief.

He was dead. He had to be.

But the delicate rise and fall of his chest betrayed him.

He sighed, letting his eyes flutter open.

"Alice. Percy." he breathed. A ghost of a smile played on his lips. "I wondered when you would come. I take it the White Rabbit found you at last?"

They nodded dumbly. He smiled again. "Poor Florence. He should not have had to see that." his smile faded. "Marcus is not with you..."

"H-He's outside." Alice whispered. "With Sir Gregory."

A pained expression crossed the old hatter's face. "I shall add that to my list of regrets. That's why I dragged myself in here, you know- Marcus needs time to grieve."

His eyes rested on Percy. "And so will you, when the time comes."

"NO!" Percy cried. He looked dangerously close to losing control. "Don't talk like that! You need a healer-"

"It's far too late for that, Percy. You know it and I know it." his voice was gentle, but firm. "Just listen to me."

It was in incredible show of loyalty that Percy obeyed him, even now.

The old Hatter chuckled- _chuckled_. While he lay there, bleeding to death.

"Oh, how cliché this is. I certainly hadn't intended to explain all this on my deathbed." he sighed.

"Yes, it's terribly cliché. But it needs to be said."

This time, he looked at both of them, and his eyes grew deep and sad. "I'm so very, very sorry, Alice. No- don't ask why. Allow an old man to take responsibility for his failures."

He took a deep, shuddering breath. "Alice Norfolk- your predecessor- stumbled into this world almost fifty years ago. She fell in with a Mad Hatter and a rather silly Knight-terrible company, really. Yes... She was beautiful, kind, and the most wanted person in Wonderland. I fell in love with her almost instantly. We married, but could not live in safety so long as the Queen of Hearts ruled. So we sought to overthrow her."

He closed his eyes, and for a terrible moment, Alice thought that they had lost him.

"We tried- oh, we tried. But the Knave of Hearts struck her in the head, and she fell. The Battle was lost."

A single tear slid down his cheek. "We lost, but Alice wasn't dead. She was... brutally injured. More so than we could cure. So we took her back to Elsewhere. To the- their doctors. They cured her, of course, but when she awoke, and she saw my face... She... she did not remember me. Nor Wonderland, or the battle... nothing."

The tears fell faster. "The doctors called her Nora. I couldn't bear to..."

his voice broke off. "I missed her so much, but I couldn't force her to love a man she didn't remember." He looked disgusted. "That was what I told myself, anyway. The truth was that I couldn't bear to look into her eyes and not see her looking back. Coward, was I! I couldn't protect her from the Knave, and I couldn't stay with her when she needed me, and I couldn't protect Percy's parents or Gregory from the Knave. I failed Alice, I failed Gregory, and I failed you three." he scoffed. "I couldn't even finish what she gave everything to start. If I had simply taken the blow for Alice, as I should have, we wouldn't be in this bloody mess."

"But you- It wasn't your fault!" Percy choked. The rage was gone from him- only a deep, heart-wrenching blue remained. Squirrelbeard patted his hand with trembling fingers.

"You give me more credit than I deserve, Percy. When the Knave killed your parents and I found you, I was overjoyed."

He smiled. The tears flowed afresh. "You are the son I never deserved. Not in blood, but in your unfaltering faithfulness and love. I hope you always remain so loyal to your friends."

He set his gaze again on Alice, and she swore he was looking right through her. "You three are a family- you must protect each other. Without the ones you love, life is no longer worth living." He tried to lift his shaking hand to his breast pocket, but had not the strength. Wordlessly, Percy reached into it for him, and drew out an elegant gold key. It was simple in design, but the ring end of it was shaped like a heart.

It was the key she had pocketed on her first day in Wonderland. She had entrusted it to Squirrelbeard, and he had kept it for all these years.

"And you must also protect this. This is no ordinary object- it is The Key. It is as old as Wonderland itself, and one of its most jealously guarded treasures."

He chuckled. "Funny that it should be sitting in the Rabbit Hole, right beneath all of our noses. You used it to unlock the small door on your way in, did you not?"

Alice nodded.

"Those Larger Doors were sealed with magic as old as The Key, and are the only doors in existence that this Key can't open. But being able to unlock anything doesn't make The Key inherently valuable, unless you are a thief or enjoy the tactile sensation of opening a lock. No- it is most wanted for its ability to awaken The Door."

"The Door?" Percy breathed. "You said that it was just a story."

The Old Hatter managed a weak chuckle. "My dear Percy, since when has that meant it wasn't real? Heavens, our whole lives might be one big story, for all we know. Does that mean we don't exist?"

Having no answer to this, the two of them remained silent.

"The Door connects Wonderland, Elsewhere, and any other Somewheres there may be. Simply wish it, turn the key, and the ordinary door of your choice will become the passageway. Not only that, but it is the only means of getting into Wonderland that can be used by Elsewherians- any of them. That's why it is so incredibly dangerous, and why the Queen wants it so much. The only thing she wants more, I'm afraid, is Alice's head."

Alice could barely take it all in- her head was spinning. It didn't make sense... this couldn't be happening, not now... not _here_, in her refuge...

"You must be so afraid." the Hatter sighed. "I wish there was something that I could do to lessen your burden, but I fear I have only made it worse. Just remember, Alice... in the end, the choice must be yours. Being an Alice makes you destined for greatness, but destiny carries only as much weight as you give it."

He gave another long, shuddering sigh.

"You are not obligated to right the wrongs of my generation- no one would think less of you if you left that burden to someone else, for burden it is."

He gave a bitter laugh. "Always the old leave their problems to the young. But I believe that you are.... more than capable...."

His eyelids drooped. "...I have told all I can. Now I must... rest..."

"No, Squirrelbeard!" she sobbed.

The tears rolled down her face- she didn't even try to hide them. It was so futile... but she could not bear to let him go without making that last effort.

He smiled sadly. "How indeed is a raven like a writing desk? I suppose... the question is yours now."

An expression of profound peace washed over his face,

"_Fairfarren, all."_

And thus did Alexander Squirrelbeard, The Mad Hatter, die.

_**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**_

_Blehh... I hope this chapter is okay. I wanted to spend more time developing Squirrelbeard's character, but I felt it would drag on the story. And yes, it did take a freakishly long amount of time for Squirrelbeard to bleed to death. XD He's a Wonderlandian- he can take a lot of injury. Also, Alice Norfolk's story doesn't seem so important now, but don't forget about her! You'll learn how it ties in, but not for a LOOONG while yet. In the meantime, we'll continue with the plot. The action part has begun! And Squirrelbeard will not be the last to die. :3 Gotta keep you guys guessing, right? Thanks to all who read and review, and to my awesome beta, .Queen. _

_THE GRAMMAR NINJAS WILL RUUUULE!~_

_P.S: Slurvish means "selfish" in Outlandish._


	9. A Different kind of Madness

_**CHAPTER NINE: A Different kind of Madness**_

"He knew."

Alice glanced up from Squirrelbeard's still form, shaking with sobs.

"P-Percy... what?"

But her friend didn't seem to hear her. He just kept shaking his head, his eyes wide.

Eyes that, to Alice's horror, were black as night.

"HE KNEW!"

"Percy-!"

But he was beyond recall, his face twisted with terror, grief, anger and a thousand darker emotions Alice couldn't place.

And that was when he finally lost control.

Before anyone could stop him, he had hurled himself at the nearest rack of hats, sending it crashing to the ground. But he didn't stop there. Percy turned his rage and grief on the shop- tearing fabric, reducing chiffon and lace to tattered shreds, and upending tables. He roared and screamed like...

...a_ madman_.

"Percy! STOP!"

But there was no stopping him now. Oblivious to Alice's pleas, he continued his onslaught- scissors crashed to the floor and mirrors shattered under his bloody fists.

"HE KNEW! HE KNEW THE WHOLE TIME!"

For the first time in her life, Alice was afraid to approach him. Not because of his manic rage, but because when his eyes suddenly locked onto hers, she could not recognize the man she saw there. Whoever stood there, shaking and staring, couldn't be her best friend.

He couldn't be.

"He knew."

The tears fell fast down his face. He was frozen in place, staring like a child woken from a horrid nightmare. How long Percy and Alice stood there, neither of them knew. But finally, Percy's strength deserted him. He swayed dangerously and the black in his gaze began to fade.

Alice didn't think about what she was going to do- she just forced her way through the wreckage and wrapped her arms around him, trying to calm his choking sobs. They sunk to the floor, curled against a nearby wall. But Alice didn't let go. It wasn't simply to stop him from raging further- she felt she had to hold onto him, lest he let go of himself.

For several minutes, they stayed there, crying and holding each other.

"He knew." Percy finally managed to whisper. "He said he had guests. He knew it was coming. _He knew. _That's why he kept me away."

Alice held him closer, ready if he should spring up again. "He wanted to protect you."

He shook his head. "I c-could have helped him. Gregory, too. They both k-knew."

She cupped his face in her hands, forcing him to meet her eyes. Both sets were blue, and wet with tears.

"You would have been killed, Percy. They knew that. In the end... the choice was theirs."

her lips twisted into a bitter smile. Squirrelbeard's words were already repeating themselves.

"He would want us to carry on."

It was then that a series of bangs and curses rocked the shop. Percy didn't even flinch, but Alice glanced up just in time to see Marcus Raine descend upon them, sword drawn and face alight with rage.

"What the _blazes _is going on here? Is-"

His eyes stretched wide as he surveyed the shop. Alice could actually see the color draining from his face.

"Fates above. Squirrelbeard..."

"Dead."

She didn't bother to inform him of the old Hatter's last words- there would be time to talk later. She didn't know when, or where, but she no longer cared. Frankly, Alice was so emotionally and physically drained, she found it impossible to think about anything but the immediate present.

They could tell him later. Right now, they had more pressing issues.

Marcus finally managed to drag his eyes away from Squirrelbeard's body and rest them on Percy.

"That explains the state of the shop." he breathed. "He didn't take it well, did he?"

Alice shook her head. Percy was oblivious to all talk about him- Alice didn't think he could hear them anymore,

"His eyes went black, and then he..."

She shuddered at the dark memories. "He couldn't handle it. I still d-don't think he's all there yet."

Marcus sighed, and sunk down beside them.

For a long moment, neither of them spoke. Alice just listened to Percy's labored breathing and retreated deep into her own thoughts- erecting a flimsy shield from the torrent of grief and pain. It was too much... too much to handle. She had never attended a funeral before- let alone watched a man die a gruesome death in front of her. She should be screaming. She should be beside herself with terror and grief.

But she wasn't. She was only lost in a blank, numb sea of shock. She just wanted to curl up and sleep for a thousand years and cry the ocean of tears that would no longer come from her eyes, but throbbed inside her aching head.

"He's only done that once before."

Alice barely registered Marcus's words. But he continued doggedly.

"The riot at the race was nothing. A few months after... when Tibbarin made fun of his parents...."

Marcus's gaze was distant, as if the scene was replaying itself in the little section of the floor he was staring at.

"Percy would have killed him if Squirrelbeard hadn't showed up. As it was, he broke three of the lardbag's ribs."

In any ordinary circumstance, Alice would have gasped, demanding to know how gentle, silly Percy could have done such a thing. But after all that had happened, Alice felt incapable of emotion.

"We shouldn't talk about him like he's not here."

Marcus shrugged. "After everything that's happened, Alice, I don't think he really cares."

And that was when Alice understood. Marcus had grieved as much as he could bear today. He needed to find something- anything- but death to talk about. He laid a red and black scrap of fabric on the ground before them.

"Recognize that?"

Shock was lost on Alice now, but she winced a little as the pieces clicked together in her mind.

"The Knave of Hearts."

Marcus nodded. "The Queen ordered this attack."

His tone was blank- he could have been discussing something as mundane as the answer to a math problem.

But Percy stiffened, and Alice tightened her grip on him again. Marcus's eyes narrowed. But both of them visibly relaxed when they saw Percy's eyes- blue, not black- and Alice let him pull away from her and get to his feet. Without speaking a word to either of them, he picked his way through the wreckage and left the shop. Marcus and Alice followed. They already knew what he was going to do, and wasted no time in helping him.

He was going to bury the Knight and the Hatter. The three of them set upon the grisly task wordlessly, and, slowly but surely, new trowels appeared beside their own. The White Rabbit and Banthrope came with a host of weepy rabbits, the Dormouse and the March Hare plowed earnestly with spoons- even the flowers dug in their roots.

No one spoke. But everyone cried.

Only Percy seemed to be without tears. His face was set into a mask of determination, and while his eyes were still bloodshot and blue, they were completely dry. Some great internal struggle had finally been resolved, and Alice could only guess what that would mean. He had always been unpredictable. But now that she had witnessed his, a new kind of madness, she realized just what "unpredictable" meant. Percy was no longer a childish, laughing being darting from one fancy to another.

He was a young man who had just lost the closest thing to a father he'd ever had. A few minutes ago, he'd been ready to kill someone. Now.... Alice didn't know what he was feeling. The blue in his eyes was fiery- intense. Like he was angry. But he couldn't have been- there wasn't a single speck of red in his gaze. Or was there?

_Even a human mood ring can be unreadable sometimes. _

Before long, they were finished. They laid a slab of stone between the two graves, reading simply,

_Here lay Alexander Squirrelbeard and Sir Gregory Trystall, friends to the end. _

They had buried the two of them side by side, beneath Squirrelbeard's favorite oak tree. Alice couldn't count the number of times she had seen him sitting in its branches, swinging his legs like a naughty child and calling riddles to those below. Squirrelbeard was old enough to be her grandfather.

He_ looked_ old enough, Alice corrected. Age, like so many other things, was not always definite in Wonderland. But it didn't matter now. He was dead. Sir Gregory was dead- the Knight she never knew but who had sacrificed himself for her sake. For all three of them. Dead.

And Alice could not help but think that a part of her had gone with them. She was barely aware of the White Rabbit's tremulous speech- something about courage and learning to move on. The sugary-sweet, stuttering eulogies spoken whenever anyone died. Curious, how everyone's faults and shortcomings vanish instantly upon their death. No one dares to speak of anything less than their undying heroism after they are gone. What comfort is that? What use is it to only remember Squirrelbeard's sacrifice, and not the lyric, magical strains of his life? His whimsy and madness?

There was so much about him that Alice never knew. Now, there would never be a chance to ask.

Finally, the last Dodo and Dormouse trooped back into the woods. Only the March Hare and the three teenagers stayed, standing stiffly in front of the oak. Time seemed to have been mourning the deaths as they did- no one knows just how long they stood there.

But they did know that, at some point, Percy disappeared. After a moment's panic, he emerged from the shop.

His old, eclectic clothes were gone. Instead, he wore white gloves, Squirrelbeard's distinctive hat, and a purple-toned suit. It was not the same one the old man had always worn- that lay in the ground with him. But the hat was his. And so were the gloves. But it was not just Percy's clothes that had changed- he looked... taller, somehow. And more gaunt. Like in that one afternoon, he had been forced to grow up. He had _changed,_ in a way Alice couldn't quite describe.

"My master is gone." he said flatly. "I have come to take his place in every way- I am the Mad Hatter. I am the owner of the shop."

His fists clenched.

"And I am the sworn enemy of the Queen of Hearts."

Never before had a silence been so complete as the others realized exactly what he meant.

"You're going to the Resistance." said Marcus simply. It was a statement, not a question.

Percy nodded. "I am. The Queen of Diamonds lost her best man, and it is only right that she receive another in his place. But you do not have to come with me." he added quickly. "It will be incredibly dangerous-"

"I'm going." said Marcus instantly. "I'll not let you throw yourself into the lion's den without me."

"Lion?" squeaked the March Hare. He had been stunned into shocked, trembling silence for hours. Percy flashed him a quick smile.

"Yes, Marchy. Lions. It's just as dangerous within the Rebellion as outside of it, so I can't let you go with us."

Marchy's ears drooped. "Marchy... no..... go with Percy?"

Percy. It was the first time the hare had used his real name.

"No, Marchy. You're not a fighter- it's not safe for you there. I need you to find the Warrenmaster, Banthrope. Ask him for work, a place to stay, anything- just _keep yourself safe_. Take the Dormouse with you."

He nodded and slowly shuffled into the woods, tears littering the ground in his wake.

"He'll be fine, Perce." Alice choked. Her voice was scratchy from disuse and the constant crying over the past few hours. Her friend only sighed.

"I wish I could believe that."

Alice's heart gave an involuntary start as he met her eyes- he hadn't looked anyone in the eye in hours. Not since his... fit.

"Are you going with us, Alice?"

It was her choice. She knew the danger, she knew that the last Alice that challenged the Queen had lost her memory, and she would likely not survive the ordeal. She had never killed anything with her sword, let alone engaged in the bloodshed required to overthrow a Queen. By all rights, she should go home. But a life without Wonderland?

_Without the ones you love, life is no longer worth living._

She had made her choice. This was her home, and she would give every last breath in her body to defend it. To defend her friends.

"I'm in."

_**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**_

_Indeed, Alice learns that madness is not all fun and games. The gang is ready to set off! :D Sorry if this story is moving too slowly- there will probably be about 20 chapters in Book One, when all is said and done. Then there's Book Two! (I'm cutting out Book 3- too repetitive for me. It just drags the story on too long.) But I hope I've jam-packed both books with enough adventure to keep you guys going. Thanks to KJ, Becca, and Myuumay, my threatening but awesome reviewers. XD I'm not going to 'avoid cliché too hard,' but the romances might not work out the way people expect. And thanks to the rest of my lovely reviewers/readers- your support is what keeps me writing more crazy, bloody, black-eyed-fit-filled chapters. XD More to come soon! And thanks also to my beta, .Queen. _


	10. Outset

_**CHAPTER 10: Outset**_

They planned to set out that night. Marcus had left to gather supplies, and Alice had quickly come and gone (or was it gone and then come back?) from Elsewhere to assemble her own pack. And, though neither of her friends knew it, to leave a note for her grandmother explaining her absence. If she ended up leaving for more than a few hours Elsewherian time, Alice didn't want her Grandmother to worry. But, though she would not admit it to herself, she had really left it in case she didn't return at all.

If she had learned anything from Squirrelbeard's death, it was that no one is invincible.

Not even in Wonderland.

It was these dark thoughts that swirled in Alice's head as she stood with her friends, silently staring at the old shop.

The choice had been made- they were leaving. According to Percy, the Rebellion's headquarters lay within the Wayfaring Wood, about a day's walk from the shop. It wasn't far, but it was well-hidden and carefully guarded. No one knew much more than that. Even the conversations Percy had overheard between Squirrelbeard and other Rebellion members gave few clues about their headquarters.

But then, secrecy was necessary when running an insurrection. The three of them simply hoped that Squirrelbeard and Sir Gregory's reputations would prevent them from being attacked on sight.

It was small comfort, that, but it was all they had.

So, after giving the shop one last, long look, the three of them turned and entered the woods.

Not one of them looked back.

_Will we live to regret it? _

They walked in silence, not simply because there were no words to say, but because the quiet between them had solidified into an icy, choking shell.

Words spluttered and died in the oppressive silence that had overtaken the Wayfaring Wood.

To truly grasp the ramifications of that statement, you have to understand just what a forest sounds like. Something is always going on- the birds are chatting or the bugs are burrowing or the rodent populations are growing cabbages. There is always some modicum of noise at any hour of day or night.

Now there was nothing. No sound, no motion- as if the wood itself had been mourning the recent deaths. Even the trees looked older and grayer.

But Alice knew that the mourning wasn't for Squirrelbeard or Gregory. The silence had been creeping into all corners of Wonderland for years, slowly but surely reducing the world she loved to a colorless, brittle shell.

It was all because of the Queen. And now she had taken Squirrelbeard and Gregory, too.

"Quiet, isn't it?"

Three swords shot from their sheaths, but were quickly stayed.

It was only the Cheshire cat, perched in a low-hanging tree branch. Percy scowled- he had never liked that cat.

"What do you want, Cheshire?"

The cat looked the very picture of injured innocence. "Me? Last I checked, sitting in a tree wasn't a punishable offense."

His customary grin spread slowly across his face.

"But there's a certain... _someone_ waiting by that clearing over yonder. She's very distraught... I wouldn't keep her waiting if I were you, Percy."

Without giving them a chance to answer, he vanished in a puff of smoke. It took him but a moment to rematerialize- this time, suspended inches from Percy's face.

"But I suppose it's not _'Percy' _anymore, is it?"

His yellow eyes were locked on Squirrelbeard's old hat, and this time, he did not smile.

"My condolences for your loss. Hatters have a rather unfortunate habit of becoming heroes and disliking cats, but I was rather fond of Squirrelbeard. He was my favorite, you know- right next to a certain Tarrant Hightopp."

Marcus and Percy gasped simultaneously.

"You knew _Tarrant Hightopp_?" Marcus breathed. "But he lived over-"

"Two-hundred years ago, obviously." drawled Cheshire. "He was a most interesting person- barking mad, of course."

He sighed.

"And he did own such a lovely hat..."

Percy's fingers closed tightly over the brim of his top hat. The Hatter and the Cat locked eyes for a moment longer before Cheshire sighed again and vanished, his grin lingering for a moment in the air. With it stayed his voice.

"_Such a splendid hat. Now, wasn't there a girl that needed talking to?"_

With a last, resounding POP, he vanished.

Marcus gave Percy (Who was still clutching his hat protectively) a furtive glance.

"It's Tilda."

"I know."

"Now would _not_ be a good time."

"I know that, too."

Alice prickled with annoyance.

"Would someone please explain what's going on?" she said sharply.

The boys jumped a little- they seemed to have forgotten that she was there.

Percy shrugged nonchalantly, but his tone was bitter.

"Tillie is a... friend."

He was nervous, but he wasn't rambling, as he usually did when he felt insecure. Instead, he had become curt and cold. His usual silly, roundabout speech had deserted him.

Alice decided that she much preferred the rambling.

"She's his girlfriend." said Marcus simply. He gave Percy a sharp look. "And she's come at a very, _very_ bad time, and Percy is _not_ going to go see her in his current state of mind. We are going to _keep walking_."

The boys exchanged a stare so intense, Alice was tempted to push them apart, for fear they would start throwing punches.

"Guys, stop it. This isn't helping anything."

Personally, Alice agreed with Marcus- Percy seeing his girlfriend wasn't going to get them any closer to the Rebellion, nor would it be entirely safe, with such pain fresh in his mind. His eyes were still blue, and Alice wasn't going to let them go black again. Anything could set him off, it seemed, and she wasn't having it. Not over something stupid like this.

"Marcus has a point." she said carefully. "I know this girl must be upset, but-"

"PERCY! Oh, thank_ heavens _I've found you!"

Then, all of the sudden, discussion was made obsolete. Tilda Branksworth sauntered into the clearing, arms flapping and lips set in a wide grin. She was beautiful, no doubt- her long, silken black hair, dainty figure, and bright green eyes were a testament to that. But she was like the hopeless females from school- something was... _wrong_ with her. Something just beneath the surface. Her green eyes were decked with long lashes, but there was no sparkle in them. Her laugh was sweet, but insecure- almost nervous.

Alice didn't like this girl at all.

But her opinion was rendered obsolete- Tilda had already thrown her arms around Percy and kissed him on the cheek. Alice winced a little- it felt.... weird.... to watch her best friend interact with someone like... _her. _This girl was from outside the fold- she hadn't practically lived with Percy and Marcus these last summers.

At that moment, Alice was painfully aware of the time she'd missed, during the school years.

_Maybe I didn't know him as well as I thought. _

Marcus and Alice were very uncomfortable with Tilda's open clinging, and Alice was tempted to tell aforementioned party to Present her Business or Get a Frigging Room, when she noticed something strange.

Percy wasn't responding to Tilda's hug at all. He simply stood, still as a statue, glancing between Alice and Marcus. His face was a bright shade of pink, and he wouldn't even look at his girlfriend.

A rush of highly unwelcome emotion flooded through Alice at that moment:

Pity.

"P-Percy? I was so worried... What's wrong?" Tilda stuttered.

His eyes flashed red.

"A great number of things, not the least of which is that you are crushing my ribcage."

Tilda recoiled, stricken, just as Alice stepped forward. She could feel the panic creeping into her veins.

_Red eyes. Red comes right before black, that's not good, not good..._

"Percy, calm down. She's not the cause of this-"

"_Isn't she?" _he snarled.

"Tilda, you really might want to go home." said Marcus quickly, his eyes darting between Percy 's clenched fists and Tilda's tearstreaked face. "He's not feeling quite right, he's suffered a huge loss-"

But he could say nothing more before Percy shoved him aside and stormed off into the trees. Alice made to follow, but Marcus held her back.

"Don't follow him- he just needs time."

Alice nodded blankly, running a hand through her unruly blonde hair.

Blast. Just when she thought he'd be fine again...

She made to shoot a resentful glance at Tilda, but she was already gone. The sound of distant sobs could be heard echoing through the trees.

Alice sighed, her head once again whirling with thoughts.

Percy. A girlfriend- and a creature like Tilda, no less. How much had she missed, while she was gone? Of course, there was nothing wrong with Percy having a significant other- it was inevitable, really. He wasn't a little boy anymore. Neither was Marcus- he had probably had a few girlfriends, in his day.

And all while Alice was gone.

For the first time, Alice was painfully aware of the fact that time didn't stop when the summers ended. It was one thing to know the fact- another to really understand what it meant.

"Blast him and his mood swings."

Alice blinked, shaken from her reverie. "What was that?"

Marcus shook his head, eyes narrowed. He was still staring in the direction Percy had left.

"He's always been a bit mad, but I hate it when he's like this. Being angry is no excuse."

Alice bit her lip. "It's not like him. What he said... he's not cruel, like that."

She forced herself not to end that sentence with "Or so I thought."

Marcus finally tore his eyes away from the woodlands, sinking to the ground.

"I suppose that kills our chances of making progress today."

Alice was forced to agree, and sat beside him, knees tucked against her chest.

They crouched by the tree in silence, watching the night fall. But the quiet wasn't so oppressive this time- broken as it was by Marcus' sighs. He looked more tired and haggard than Alice had ever seen him, but more than physical exhaustion weighed down his face.

"You miss Gregory, don't you?"

She almost expected his eyes to turn red, too, but they didn't. He just shook his head, giving her a slow, sad smile.

"No. We were never as close as Percy and Squirrelbeard were- I wasn't the only paige he was training. Flint and Baleira were much closer to him than I was... I'm sure the White Rabbit has informed them of the incident and they're grieving for him."

He sounded almost... bitter.

"I'm sure he cared about you, Marcus." said Alice quietly. "He... he gave everything for you."

"Let's not talk about this." he said quickly. "There's been too much talk of bloodshed and grief today. Frankly, I'm sick of it. I could go for a riddle right about now."

Alice bit her lip to hide a smile- Marcus was an awful riddler.

"I'm invisible, stronger than a thousand men, and not a part of the air or the earth. What am I?"

His brow furrowed in concentration.

"It's... hrmm.... the wind?"

"That's part of the air. Try again."

Marcus muttered something that sounded oddly like 'friggin writing desks' under his breath. Alice had to cover her mouth to hide her giggles.

After another moment's hesitation, he admitted defeat.

"All right- I give up. What's the answer?"

"Gravity."

He quirked an eyebrow. "Gravity? That's not fair- you can't use things I haven't heard of."

Alice didn't know what was stranger- what he had said, or the sincerely puzzled way he had said it.

"Are you serious? You haven't heard of gravity?"

"No, but it sounds boring. What is it- a disease?"

Alice laughed aloud. How long had it been since she had laughed?

"No, silly- it's a... it's a force that holds you to the ground. It's what keeps you going down when you fall."

Marcus pondered this for a moment.

"Huh. I never knew that- our scientists called it Mungo."

"Mungo?"

"Yeah. The law of Mungo keeps everyone on the ground. It says that when someone jumps, they have to go back down because the negative thoughts of the ground and people beneath them counteract the jump. Have enough happy people around and you'll jump a bit higher, but you'll always end up coming back down. 'Cept for Blungy the Barmy, though- he's still floating around in the sky somewhere."

It took several minutes for Alice to stop laughing long enough to speak.

Marcus looked genuinely puzzled. "You've never heard of the law of Mungo? I'm surprised at you, Alice. It's-"

But he was cut off by an excited gasp- a beautiful, blue-tinged shooting star had just streaked across the sky.

"Did you see that? The shooting star?" Alice breathed. Marcus grinned.

"I did." he conveniently neglected to tell her that there were no shooting stars in Wonderland- only Bungy when he felt like setting his pants on fire.

"It's beautiful."

"Yeah." said Marcus quietly. "Really beautiful."

Alice didn't see it, but his eyes were not on the shooting star.

_**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**_

_Naww. Fluffy fluff. (Too bad Alice is STILL too dense to notice. XD And things are about to get just a bit more complicated... :D) Don't worry- they'll reach the Rebellion soon. (Within the next chapter or two.) In case it wasn't already glaringly obvious, I do not own Alice in Wonderland- only my OC's and this story. I will be EXTREMELY angry if anyone posts this ANYWHERE without my permission, so don't. If you want to share this with friends, link to it, m'kay? :D Much obliged. Thanks again to all of my lovely readers and especially to my reviewers. (Myuumay, KJ, and Becca, specifically. :D) Until next time, then!_

_-JadedWarrior_


	11. An Unfortunate Event

_**CHAPTER 11: A Rather Unfortunate Turn of Events **_

Percy did not return that night. Alice didn't see him until the next morning, crouched over a small cooking fire. He'd spread out a blanket next to it, set with three plates and a delicious-looking breakfast. Stacks of pancakes, a bowl of berries- he'd even steeped a pot of tea.

Alice's eyes were wide. "You didn't have to do that. You- if you'd woken us, we would have helped."

Percy flashed them a fleeting smile that didn't extend to his heavily shadowed eyes.

"I had a hard time sleeping last night, so I figured I might as well. Tell me, how many letters are in the word 'desolate?'"

Now Alice was scared.

"Percy, snap out of it. You're supposed to be thinking about five letter words, remember? 'Desolate' has eight."

He gave a forced chuckle. "I'm tired of thinking in fives. Eight is much better. It's more.... _symmetrical_."

Marcus and Alice were unnerved at his sudden change- now Percy's icy demeanor had been replaced by a twisted version of his madness. He had gotten worse. But Alice didn't want to set him into a rage in his unstable state, so she resigned herself to sitting on the blanket and trying to enjoy breakfast. "Trying" being the operative word. Percy had made pancakes for the three of them, though they hadn't packed any cream to put on them. Instead, he topped them with strange fruits resembling blue strawberries. Marcus had also given up and begun to eat.

"So, how many miles do you think we've got left?"

It was obvious, forced conversation. But Percy was more than happy to respond.

"Oh, another day's worth, at least, since we..."

he trailed off.

"...we didn't get far yesterday."

Marcus and Alice cringed, but not a speck of red crept into Percy's eyes. After a moment's terse silence, Alice deemed it safe to continue.

"You should really apologize to Tilda, you know." she said gently. "She was very hurt."

Marcus winced, glancing quickly from Alice to Percy.

"_Don't. Push. It." _he muttered. But she wasn't listening- Percy hadn't been himself last night, and she didn't want to see that again. She wouldn't let his grief spill out and hurt other people.

Marcus had said much the same himself, But he didn't want to tackle the problem head-on.

With Percy, sometimes that was the only way to go. So Alice met his searching gaze squarely when it came.

That odd fluttering feeling came again as their eyes locked- Percy's were still blue. And they would likely stay that way for a while.

Then he looked away, forcing his face into another false smile.

"I should apologize. What I said... unacceptable. But there's no time now."

He took a sip of his tea.

"We have to get going- and soon. The Knave will surely be looking for us."

Marcus nodded. "We'll need to go faster, to make up for lost time. We should try to reach the halfway point today."

Alice didn't bother to ask where that was. It wasn't marked on any reliable map- that was for sure.

Because, you see, there _weren't_ any reliable maps in Wonderland.

Breakfast was a terse and awkward affair- Marcus and Alice tiptoeing around their friend's perpetually-imminent rage, and Percy shooting wistful, apologetic looks at both of them.

He really was sorry. Alice felt terrible for treating him like a walking time bomb, but she felt she had no choice. It took so little to set him off anymore.

Now more than ever, she wanted the old Percy back. Had he really been normal under 24 hours ago? That afternoon felt like a dream- a dream in the midst of a nightmare.

But Alice kept such dark thoughts to herself as they walked ever deeper into the Wayfaring Wood and it's oppressive silence.

How long had they been traveling? Hours? Days? She wasn't sure, but she knew that she had but a second's warning when _it_ happened.

When everything fell apart.

An almighty crash rent the silence as a gigantic, sharp-toothed creature charged into the clearing.

"BANDERSNATCH! RUN!"

Then all was chaos. The three of them ran blindly through the woods, ducking and weaving in the dense undergrowth. Alice was only aware of the labored breathing of the boys around her and her own terror- the Bandersnatch's strides made the ground tremble, trees were torn and cracked in it's wake.

And it was gaining. Quickly.

_No hope, no hope. _

There was only one thing to do.

Alice stopped running, tore her sword from it's sheath and turned to face the monster.

"ALICE! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Marcus cried, skidding to a stop. Percy was just as terrified, his blue eyes fading to gray.

"Just keep running!" she cried, but she knew they wouldn't obey her. Instead, they drew their own swords and waited for the Bandersnatch to appear.

They didn't have to wait long.

Within seconds, the beast had charged into their clearing, grinding to a stop with a bloodcurdling roar.

It was ready. And so were they.

Alice should have been terrified. And she was- but her brain had shoved her fear to the back of her mind.

She had one thing to focus on right now- _get rid of the Bandersnatch._

"We're going to need a distraction." she muttered, eyes locked on the beast.

Percy raised an eyebrow. "Now?"

"Preferably."

Percy gave a curt nod and stepped forward, while Marcus and Alice wordlessly crept around to the beast's sides.

The Bandersnatch let loose a menacing growl, rows of pointed teeth bared. Percy grinned.

"'Ello, wee beastie. Care for a bit of a snack? There's one seriously large chunk of Hatter sitting right here."

If the situation hadn't been so horribly dire, Alice might have laughed. Is it was, she was mere feet from the animal's vulnerable side... just a bit closer...

Percy grinned at the Bandersnatch as it slunk towards him, the light of hunger in it's eyes.

"Mmmm, delicious, I am. Yes, you'll need some sauce to go with- ALICE!"

Alice ducked just as a massive paw swiped over her head, close enough to graze her hair.

Heart hammering, she forced herself up, scarcely dodging another vicious swipe. The Bandersnatch was ignoring Percy's charade, and had turned to face Alice.

GROOOOOOOOOAR!!

It lunged for her, and she skidded away as fast as she could, darting across the clearing. She tried desprately to lose it, but no matter how she feinted or weaved, the beast was always just behind her. She was oblivious to her friends' shouts- all she knew was that she had to keep running, and run faster, and she could _not stop_-

Another almighty roar rent the woods. Alice whirled around- Marcus slashed the beast's side, setting it off her trail. Within a few seconds, Percy had joined him, swiping with their swords and dodging the beast's wild slashes. But they couldn't hold it off for long.

_No way am I letting you hurt them!_

Alice gritted her teeth and charged forward, loosing a savage war cry. The Bandersnatch whipped it's head around, distracted. It was all she needed.

Alice seized the opportunity and made a wild slash, slicing the creature's face. It screamed in pain, making Alice want to stuff her fingers in her ears. Now the three of them were working together, jeering at the evil creature and dodging its lunges. Blood spurted at every turn- it was soon covered in gashes. But no matter how often they scored the Bandersnatch's pelt, the creature never lost the will to fight. The three teenagers were tiring- their slashes growing less and less frequent.

"You.... all right, Alice?" Marcus panted. She nodded curtly, watching the Bandersnatch whirl around again.

"Yeah...I'm fine..."

She was looking at Marcus. And he was looking at her.

So they didn't see the Bandersnatch suddenly turn away from Percy. They didn't see the massive claws bearing down on Alice until it was too late, and she could do nothing but listen to Marcus's cries and watch the creature bear down on her, seeking to snap her spine with a single, devastating swipe. She couldn't move. She could only stare, paralyzed, as death rushed closer.

SLAM!

She had been hit by something heavy, she was on the ground. Everything was dark. The ground was springy- full of moss. Cool moss and warm, salty blood. But she wasn't in incredible pain. Shouldn't she have been, had she just been laid open by a Bandersnatch? But that happened to people, when they were in shock. There wasn't supposed to be any pain right before you died.

Died?

Her eyes snapped open.

She hadn't been hit by the Bandersnatch at all. She had been thrown to the ground by Percy, whose gray eyes were suspended inches from her own.

"Alice, are you- oh, thank the fates. You're all right."

"HEY!"

Alice was jarred from her thoughts by an angry-looking Marcus.

"In case you two haven't noticed, the Bandersnatch is still alive!"

Not a moment later, the creature charged across the clearing. It was a gruesome sight, to be sure- one side of it's face laid open and countless slashes shredding it's pelt. Its fur was matted with blood, and the clearing reeked of it.

Perhaps Alice had been hit too hard, when Percy landed on her. Perhaps his madness was infectious.

Perhaps she had just gone temporarily insane. Because at that moment, she did something very strange.

She threw caution to the winds and lunged at the Bandersnatch, burying her blade in its forehead.

The Bandersnatch jerked involuntarily and her legs were swept out from under her. She hit the earth with a wet CRUNCH- a bomb of pain exploding in her forehead. She was aware of the beast loosing one last tortured scream before it fell, sending a shudder through the forest. Her head was spinning, the scent of blood tainted the air... she was so tired. Her head throbbed. Oh, how she wanted to sleep...

"Alice! ALICE!"

She felt someone flip her onto her back. It was Marcus's face above her, this time, shaking her roughly. The world slowly swam back into focus.

"Sorry..."_ But what was she apologizing for? _  
Then Percy's face appeared. Gray eyes- he was worried. He gently brushed his hand across her forehead.

The glove came away soaked in blood.

"She's bleeding."

Marcus snorted irritably. "Tell me something I don't know. We need something to bind her head, and-"

"Our stuff is gone. The Bandersnatch crushed it."

Marcus cursed quietly, trying to hold back the flood of panic threatening to overwhelm him.

"Then we need to find help! There has to be someone around here whoca_n__healher__.._."

Their voices were slurring, fading. Alice couldn't stop her heavy eyelids from sliding shut.

The last thing she remembered before blacking out were strong arms gently lifting her off the ground.

The last hours were the most frightening that Percy could remember- even more so than his Master's recent death.

They had almost lost Alice.

She wasn't heavy- he had been able to pick her up easily, her form limp as a rag doll's. He held her close as they walked, terrified that they were already too late. She just kept bleeding. Why didn't she stop? Why couldn't she turn it off? It frightened him.

They finally came upon the cottage of two old badgers, who were more than willing to let them stay the night. To top it all off, the female badger was a doctor. One of the best, too- she made short work of Alice's injury.

Percy couldn't believe their luck. (He and Lady Luck had a long-standing feud, but for this, he would be willing to make amends.)

The Badgers had been very kind- they laid Alice down on the sofa by the fire. It was a quiet, glowing thing, and it bathed her face in warm light.

She looked so peaceful, lying there. Marcus had kept vigil by her side for two hours until the Badgers managed to shoo him away, keeping him occupied in the kitchen.

It would not do Alice any good to worry, they said.

But it didn't stop Percy from worrying. He had slipped out of the kitchen undetected, and found his way back into the sitting room.

What a strange name. Why devote a whole room to just _sitting? _Didn't they have something more interesting to do with the space, like launch bottle rockets or watch Tea Vee?

Percy didn't know who Tea was or why he was Vee-ing, (A competitive sport, maybe?) but it sounded most interesting. That was what Alice said, anyway- apparently it was Elsewherian thing.

And no one in the room was sitting, anyway- Alice was lying down.

And he was standing, watching her.

A lock of golden hair had fallen across her face. Without thinking, he reached out to brush it away.

But his hand never reached her.

"_Hey!_"

Percy whipped his head around. Marcus was standing in the doorway, eyes narrowed.

"I saw that."

"Did you? I wasn't doing anything wrong."

"You know _exactly _what you were doing."

Percy shot his friend a fierce glare. "Jealous, are we?"

He knew immediately that he had gone too far- Marcus' face was livid, and his hand strayed to the hilt of his sword. Percy knew he would never draw it, but the gesture made him angry all the same. He'd had enough of Marcus' possessive attitude.

"Relax, would you?" he snapped. "I know how you feel about Alice- I'm not about to intrude. We're _both_ allowed to be worried about her, you know."

Marcus visibly relaxed.

"Sorry. It's just, after you saved her from the Bandersnatch, I thought-"

"It's fine." said Percy curtly. "You have nothing to fear from me."

Marcus breathed a sigh of relief and strode across the room to stand beside his friend. But the atmosphere had been spoiled- the tension from their fight still simmered in the air.

Marcus brushed the unruly golden strands out of Alice's face with more gentleness than Percy had ever seen from him.

They made quite a pair, the two of them.

Two. Such an... _exclusive_ number.

Percy sighed, and turned to leave. He had a hand on the doorknob when Marcus's voice stopped him.

"Don't forget your promise, Percy."

The Hatter promptly slammed the door shut, storming down the hallway. He was sure his eyes were red.

"I will _never_ forget."

_**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**_

_Mehhhh, the Bandersnatch scene needs work. Reviews on how I could improve it would be great- I think the final stab needs more drama._

_And yes- I do so love these cliffhangers. XD Sorry to torture you guys, but I couldn't resist! I'll be sure to update often, though, to make up for it. Thanks to my lovely reviewers, as always, and expect chapter twelve to be up within the week!_

_-JadedWarrior _


	12. The Queen of Diamonds

_**CHAPTER 12: An Oak, A Song, and the Queen of Diamonds **_

They left the cottage the next morning. Alice had made quite the miraculous recovery- the fracture in her skull was not severe, and the female Badger was a trained master of healing. The kind creatures had even replaced their supplies. Lady Luck had been with them.

But they tread carefully- Lady Luck had always been a fickle creature. With every step, the Wayfaring Wood grew darker and denser, and Alice wondered the trees were all that blocked the sunlight. The perpetual twilight left to them was dappled with shadows, giving the old, twisted trees a sinister look. But there was a magical quality to them, too, like everything in Wonderland- the patchy shadows danced (Quite literally) from tree to tree, making the forest seem more alive than it had in years. Gentle music filtered through the branches, though Alice couldn't imagine where it was from- the melody chirped, flowed and danced in Alice's ears as only the music of nature could. It made her want to run a hundred miles, laugh and dance until she fell amid the undergrowth and it's lilting, magical song. She was vaguely aware of someone calling her name, but what did that matter? The forest was calling her with a much stronger voice, that heated the blood in her veins and made her feel more alive than she had ever- _"ALICE!"_

Someone's hands were shoved over her ears, and the magic ended. She felt dazed, and her legs were airy and numb... as if she had really run a hundred miles.

"Whaa..."

It was Marcus who had his hands on her ears, his greenish blue eyes boring into her own.

"Alice. Focus." he said firmly, though his voice was a little muffled.

"Is she all right?"

Percy's face appeared next to Marcus'. " Blast, we totally forgot... Alice, are you with us now?"

She nodded. "What happened? There was the music, and..." she trailed off, slipping into the mesmerizing tune again.

Marcus shook her roughly, jarring her from her thoughts. "Hey! Don't listen to the music. It's the Seddlering- the Deep Song. It messes with your mind."

"Did... did you feel it, too?"

"We're from Wonderland." said Percy. "We're used to this kind of thing- it doesn't affect us as much. I don't think your body is as tolerant to the magic, though. Do you have Hearbugs?"

_Hearbugs? Oh!_

"No, I don't have earplugs or headphones. But I can stuff my fingers in my ears until we reach the Rebellion... it isn't far, is it?"

Marcus shook his head. "We've made good time today, we should be there shortly."

Alice breathed a sigh of relief- no matter what else was acceptable in Wonderland, she was sure she would feel silly walking for miles with her fingers in her ears.

"Just stick a banana in your ear..." she giggled at the silly thought. What was wrong with her?

"A banana?" echoed Percy. "I didn't think of that. Do you have one?"

Alice laughed aloud. "No, it's a... it's difficult to explain. But a puppet named Ernie sings that song- you would have liked him."

She fully expected Percy to respond to that with a witty retort or a puppet-related story of his own, but he didn't. He just smiled briefly and forged ahead, leaving Marcus and Alice to trail behind him.

"Is he all right?" whispered Alice.

"He's fine. Probably thinking about ravens and writing desks again- he's taken to doing that, now that Squirrelbeard's..." he trailed off. "...since the riddle never got solved."

Alice nodded- riddles. At least he had regained one aspect of his former madness. Perhaps he was, slowly but surely, recovering from the shock.

"The badgers were wonderful, weren't they?" she said, trying to change the subject.  
Marcus smiled. "Sure they were. They took very good care of you while you were hurt... and you're sure that you're okay?"

Alice sighed- Marcus had asked this question at least a hundred times since she had regained consciousness. And while she was grateful for his concern, it was beginning to frustrate her.

"I'm _fine_." she said firmly. "The fracture healed right up, and I'm not in any pain. I'm telling you-"

"HALT!"

Monkey bowmen dropped from the trees all around them, forming a ring of stony faces and nocked arrows.

"Don't move, or we'll shoot!" growled a particularly fierce looking one. "This is restricted territory- state yer business, or my archers'll turn yer to-"

He broke off suddenly when he spied Percy's hat.

"Blimey- that's the Mad 'Atter's, that is! What's 'appened to 'im?"

The archers began muttering amongst themselves, whispering and pointing at the hat.

Percy ignored them. "Squirrelbeard is dead." he said curtly. "The Knave of Hearts killed him. I'm the Mad Hatter now."

The ape's eyes narrowed. "Yer must be 'ittle Percy, then. Explains a bit, it does." he jabbed a finger at Alice and Marcus.

"Who'er those two?"

"I'm Marcus Raine." he said simply. "A knight-in-training under Sir Gregory- or I was. He's dead too."

Gasps rang out among the archers now, and the whispering intensified.

The lead ape's eyes darted between the three of them.

"How do I know yer tellin' the truth?"

"Oh, don't be so suspicious, Ferzin."

Alice couldn't suppress a grin- she knew that drawl anywhere.

Cheshire.

He'd appeared just behind the lead ape's head, causing a scramble by the archers to get him in their circle. Ferzin rolled his eyes.

"Stop it, yer blibberin' idiots! Yer can't shoot the Chesher Cat- keep yer eyes on the three we started with!"

Cheshire sighed as the archers shuffled back into place. "'The three you started with' are genuine, you know."

He leaned in to whisper something in Ferzin's ear. His eyes stretched wide.

"No." he breathed, eyes locked on Alice. "An Alice? And she's got the...?"

"Oh yes." said the cat, flashing his too-wide smile. "The Queen will want to see the three of them soon. If I were you, I would have those archers lower their weapons."

The apes did not hesitate to do so- their stony faces melted into open expressions of awe.

"That's the Mad Hatter, that is!"

"He's got the hat! See- 10/6!"

"And there's Gregory's mark on 'at one's tunic. They're the real deal, they are!"

"But who's the girl?"

"I dunno, do I? But if history is anything to go by..."

"Ssh, dummy! They'll hear!"

The babble of conversation intensified, and only a sharp bark from Ferzin could silence them.

"That's enough a' that! Form up, form up- we're escorting these three to Headquarters."

The archers hastened to do so. Alice smiled gratefully at the cat, still suspended in midair.

"Thanks, Cheshire."

"My pleasure." he purred. "And here..."

he handed Alice a pair of midnight blue earrings. "Put those in- they should stop the music from befuddling you. After all, you don't want to walk for miles with your fingers in your ears. It would look... most silly."

With one last wink, he vanished. Alice wasted no time in putting on the earrings, and the relief was instantaneous. She was still aware of the song, but it no longer filled her with the giggly fog as it did before. Marcus noticed the jewelry and smiled.

"Those look... nice. Cheshire's just full of surprises, isn't he?"

Alice nodded. "But then again, he always was."

Ferzin and his troops led them deeper still into the forest, but Alice wasn't sure exactly how far- all three of them had been blindfolded before they set out. Ferzin didn't like to do it, but it was 'Policy' as he put it. Their swords were also confiscated, but the apes promised that they would be returned upon their arrival at Headquarters. They were steered through brush, bramble, and even what seemed suspiciously like a tunnel, occasionally meeting other creatures along the way. Each time, Ferzin would whisper urgently to them in Outlandish. Alice didn't understand a word of it, but the creatures always chattered excitedly afterwards.

_They must think I'm this new Alice they've been waiting for. _

She was- she knew that. But there was a big difference between knowing something and becoming a hero. Could she overthrow the Queen of Hearts?

At last, the blindfolds were removed, and Alice gasped in awe.

They were standing in a grassy clearing as big as several football fields, and an _enormous _tree sprung from the the center. It's branches stretched so high and wide that they touched the trees of the surrounding wood, but it allowed dazzling shafts of sunlight to pierce the forest floor. Walls of daubed mud and logs surrounded the tree, as high and thick as any castle's defenses. The closer they got, the more Alice wondered if the tree wasn't a castle after all. The bark was studded with windows and gates, and smaller structures resembling treehouses were nestled in the branches. But the tree didn't look carved or burdened by them- it appeared to almost have grown that way, natural and manmade aspects blending together into one awe-inspiring structure.

"It's beautiful." Alice breathed. Ferzin smiled. "Aye. It's Arohall- as ancient as the Wayfaring Wood itself. It's befittin' of the true Queen of Wonderland- but she'll be returned to 'er proper castle soon enough. Come! She'll be wantin' an audience with you."

The archers fell away, but Ferzin stayed with them until they reached the gates, by which two stony-faced cards were stationed. But these weren't red, like the Queen of Heart's notorious henchmen- they were gold and white, with diamond-shaped tips to their spears.

"These three wish to see the Queen." said Ferzin. The cards nodded curtly and stepped aside, allowing them to pass through the iron gates.

The inside of Arohall was as impressive as the outside- the floors were made of some kind of amber marble, and the walls were pale and smooth, like birch bark. Nature and manmade splendor merged here- vine-covered stairways grew out of the walls, and floating weirlights lent the rooms a gentle glow. Arohall was as sumptuously decorated as any castle, and Alice couldn't help craning her neck back and forth as they walked, trying to take it all in. Creatures of every size and shape darted to and fro, stopping often to whisper and stare at the passing group. The only similarity between them was that they all wore the white-and-gold of the Queen of Diamonds.

At last, they reached another set of large doors and entered the throne room. It was high-ceilinged and airy, and decked out in white and gold. But by far, the most beautiful thing in it was the Queen herself. Her long, floaty dress billowed out around her throne. Her gown was layered in pale gold and white, and a diamond pendant hung from her neck. She was fair, petite, but rather tall for a woman. Wavy, golden hair tumbled off of her shoulders, and her eyes were a soft chocolate color.

She was like so many fairy princesses Alice had read about as a child- possessing the floaty, kind demeanor of a Glinda or Fairy Godmother.

All she lacked were wings... and a crown. But Alice knew all too well where- or rather, to whom- her crown had gone.

They bowed as they approached the throne, Alice sinking instead into a rather clumsy curtsy.

"Yer 'ighness," said Ferzin in his strange accent, "These three are here to see yer- the Mad 'Atter, Sir Gregory's apprentice, and..." his voice broke for a moment, then dropped to a whisper.

"...and our New Alice."

A wide smile lit up the Queen's face.

"Excellent, Ferzin. You may go."

He bowed once more and took his leave.

For a moment, the Queen only stared at them, excited rapture on her face like a child at Christmas. Alice couldn't be sure how old she was- the light of wisdom in her eyes could only have been from an older woman, but there was no sign of age on her seamless face.

"Always it is a Hatter, an Alice, and a Knight. But..." the smile slipped off of her face. "...not the same Hatter and Knight that set out so long ago. I take it the rumors are true, then? Squirrelbeard and Gregory are dead?"

"Yes, your Highness." said Marcus. The Queen sighed.

"That is most grievous news. My condolences for your loss... but we will be sure my sister pays for what she has done."

Percy nodded. "That's what we've come for. We wish to join the Rebellion, if you'll have us."

The Queen laughed, a high, sweet sound. "'If I'll have you?' My dear Hatter, I would be honored if the two of you... and especially our New Alice, would fight on our side. _You_ are what we've been waiting for."

Alice felt it again- the chilling weight of responsibility.

"I o-only hope I can meet your expectations, Your Majesty..."

The Queen tutted waggling a finger at her. She reminded her of her grandmother- Alice had to fight the desire to laugh. What was wrong with her?

"Nonsense." the Queen said firmly. "You're an Alice- you'll be just fine. I'm sure of it. Now, Ferzin has informed me that you're carrying something of great value. Is this true?"

Alice nodded and drew the Key out from under her shirt- she had strung it on a stout piece of ribbon after Squirrelbeard had given it to her. The Queen descended from her throne, and reached for it with trembling fingers.

"May I?"

Alice nodded, handing her The Key. She took it with utmost reverence, fingering the golden contours.

"Just as I thought..." she breathed. "The Key to Wonderland. Astounding... where did you get this, Alice?"

"I found it on a table in the Rabbit Hole years ago. I left it with Squirrelbeard for safekeeping, and he gave it back to me just before he died."

The Queen nodded to herself, as if confirming a theory, and handed it back to Alice. "The value of this Key cannot be stressed enough, Alice- it's true powers are beyond anyone's understanding. Keep it secret, and keep it safe*, please. Don't show it to anyone- not even fellow members of the Rebellion. It cannot be allowed to fall into the wrong hands."

Alice nodded, and hid it once again beneath her shirt.

The Queen clapped her hands, breaking the solemn mood. "Well, now that you have arrived, we are ready to make history. I'll call a servant to lead you to your rooms, and meals will be brought to you for tonight. You won't want to experience the full weight of curious humanity until you've rested up a bit- especially you, Alice. The Rebellion has become most excited over your arrival."

She grinned. "Now, to rest, and in three days, we will lay siege to my sister's castle!"*

_**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**_

_*Yeah, okay, blatant LoTR reference. Couldn't resist. It was hard enough to avoid comparing the Queen of Diamonds to Galadriel. XD _

_*They're not going to actually seige the castle- that would be long and boring. But that last sentence was too cool to pass up. No, the last battle's not gonna be a seige, but I hope it will meet expectations._

_Also, no references to things like Sesame Street, Twilight, ect made in this fic are meant as copyright infringements. Alice reads a lot, and tends to see Wonderland as a bit of a storybook world, so she makes a lot of comparisons between the two. Plus, you know, what better way to get a laugh than to have the Mad Hatter read Twilight? XD He's Team Jacob, by the way._

_Hooray! They've finally reached the Rebellion! :D Sorry about all the description- I felt the need to emphasize the pure awe and majesty of Arohall. Plus, I wanted a slower chapter to balance the drama of the deaths and the Bandersnatch. We'll slow down for the next few chapters, too, until- well, you'll see when we get there! :D Thanks to my lovely reviewers and to everyone who reads this story- I really appreciate and respond to all non-anonymous reviews. _

_Until next chapter!  
-JadedWarrior_


	13. Revelations

_**CHAPTER 13: Revelations**_

The next morning came with a bright, dappled dawn. Shafts of sunlight filtered through Alice's window, giving her room a rosy glow. The Queen had been generous- her quarters were as beautiful as the rest of the castle. She even had a maid to attend her, named Rosabi. Alice had met her that morning when she was presented with new clothes, courtesy of the Queen. Alice was grateful that she had not included any dresses- she would feel strange wearing long, floaty skirts all the time. The tailors weren't very familiar with "Elsewherian styles," but they had altered several tunics with grace- they resembled the skirt-and-leggings combinations many girls at her school wore.* So, donning a blue tunic, white leggings, and her dove-gray hoodie, she deemed herself presentable and left in search of her friends.

It didn't take long for her to find Percy- he was taking tea on one of the balconies.

"And that's when I said, 'Why couldn't she be struck by lightning, or hit by a baseball, or something?' The book was _most_ boring, I assure you."

Alice could hardly hide her giggles- the scene was so precious. He was sitting at a small table with a young, red-haired girl and an assortment of stuffed animals, looking happier than she'd seen him in days. His eyes were orange, at last. The girl was darling little thing- she couldn't have been more than five years old, and her hair was pulled into flamboyant pigtails atop her head. She prodded a teddy bear with the teapot.

"More tea, Mr. Harumphus?"

"I don't know about him, but I could use another cup. This tea is absolutely fabulous." said Percy grandly. She didn't hesitate to pour him another one- and Alice had to stop herself from giggling again when she realized that there was nothing in the teapot. The only real food on the table was a small plate of tarts.

Percy took a long draught of his "tea" and grinned- how she'd missed his smile.

"Absolutely smashing. Where'd you learn to make tea, Mirabelle? You've got to give me this recipe!"

She stuck her nose in the air, but a wide grin split her face. "But I_ can't_ tell you, Percy! Then it wouldn't be a secret!"

He sighed. "I suppose you're right... but I'm determined to figure out this recipe, one way or another. It'll be a lovely riddle- speaking of which... do you have any idea how a raven is like a writing desk?"

Alice expected his eyes to fade to blue at the thought of his Master's unfinished riddle, but they didn't. He just shared a conspiratorial look with Mirabelle as she leaned closer, eyes sparkling.

"Yes! I know_ just _how a raven is like a writing desk! Can you guess?"

Percy laughed. "My dear Mirabelle, if I could guess, would I be asking?"

"Yes you would." she said simply. "Because you're mad, and mad people do that. But you're my best friend in the whole wide world, so I don't mind. Just listen!"

She took a deep breath.

"A raven likes a writing desk because once upon a time the raven flew to Ar'duh Hall and took some wood and made a writing desk but he couldn't write 'cause he didn't have hands so he found a princess and had him write for her and then they fell in love but the princess couldn't marry him 'cause she just couldn't so they had a wizard turn the raven into a prince and they all lived happily ever after and wrote all over the writing desk!"

Percy laughed, pulling her into a tight hug. "Absolutely brilliant, Mirabelle! You know, no one's been able to answer that one before."

He released her, and she dropped back into her seat. "See? I told'ja: nothing's impossible unless you _believe _it is. And I believe that you're my raven prince and we're gonna get a writing desk and live happily ever after when I get old enough to marry!"

Percy smiled indulgently, taking another sip of his tea.

"I'm a bit old for you, Mirabelle. But I'm sure you'll find a wonderful raven prince and live happily ever after in a castle made of candyfloss and writing desks."

His tone wasn't patronizing- he seemed to be sincerely enjoying himself.

_Tea with a five-year old- he's finally in his element._

Alice couldn't resist snickering a little at this thought, but neither Percy or Mirabelle heard.

"You know what I think, Percy?" the little girl whispered. "I think you should go marry _Alice_!"

Percy almost choked on his invisible tea. "D-don't be silly, Mirabelle! Someone else is pursuing Alice, I couldn't marry her, even if I wanted to. We're not meant to be."

Alice was frozen to the spot, her heart hammering.

_Someone else? But who..._

_Oh, heavens, I've been so stupid. _

_Marcus. _

The pieces clicked together in her mind almost instantly- of course. The way he stole glances at her when he thought she wasn't looking, the way he'd nearly had a heart attack when he thought Percy had attacked her during his fit... it made sense.

But did_ she_ have feelings for Marcus?

Alice couldn't go any further with that thought before Mirabelle spoke again.

"But Hatters and Alices have _always_ been together. Always. Like princes and princesses- they live happily ever after at the end."

"Not always." said Percy quietly. Alice knew he was remembering Squirrelbeard's tragic relationship with his Alice.

Mirabelle peeked inside the teapot and frowned. "We're all out of tea."

Percy slapped a hand to his brow. "Goodness! I'll have to fetch some more, then- I'll be back in a minute. Just-"

He froze a few feet from the doorway, eyes wide. "A-Alice! I didn't know you were there."

She was filled with dismay as she watched his eyes fade from orange to blue.

"Well, I've got to replace our tea. Marcus is downstairs, sparring with some of the other Knights, if you want to see him they'll probably want to test all of us for swordsmanship soon enough so I'll just be going- GOODBYE, ALICE!" he said quickly, practically sprinting down the hallway. Alice bit her lip, guilt clawing at her insides.

He had been fine- for a few wonderful minutes, she thought he had gotten better. But then...

...but then she'd ruined it for him.

She tried to shove the thought away, but it was too late- it had crossed her mind. There was no taking it back.

_No, no, no! That's not my fault!_

She would talk to him- ask him what was wrong. Prove to him that just because she'd seen him with Mirabelle didn't mean she thought him mad or whatever other ridiculous thoughts had caused him to run away.

Where did he go?

She mentally kicked herself- idiot. Why didn't she watch where he went?

Stupid, stupid, stupid! She walked quickly down the hallway, looking for any room that might be his, the sound of his voice, a clue-

Bingo. A scrap of fabric lay on the floor outside one of the rooms, fabric she recognized immediately as part of his coat. He must have ripped it on the door.

She knocked- no answer.

"Percy?" she called, tentatively opening it. "Are you all right? I'm not going to make fun of you about Mirabelle- it was really rather cute..."

No answer.

She drifted through the room, heart beating faster and every sense heightened the way they always were when she was doing something _she knew she shouldn't. _

She shouldn't be in his room, but she had to find him. But she couldn't help glancing about- his room was much like hers- elegant, but relatively simple. The rucksack the Badgers had given each one of them lay next to his bed, and... what's this?

A piece of paper poked out from the bag's seam, and she pulled it out. She hated snooping through his things, but she was so curious...

_Curiosity killed the cat, Alice. _

_Well, curiosity also cured polio. Sue me. _

So she unfolded the piece of paper, and gasped. It was a photo of... _her. _She was fourteen years old, her face bathed in moonlight, staring at the stars... she'd let him borrow her camera, but she never knew he'd kept the pictures they'd taken. Alice had to leave them all in Wonderland, fearing what would happen if someone found them, but Percy said he'd lost them all...

Footsteps in the hall! Alice shoved the photo into the pocket of her hoodie and dashed out of the door. When she'd deemed herself a safe distance from his room and her heart stopped hammering, she walked as calmly as she could out of the castle. She didn't know where she was walking, but she felt she had to keep moving- moving helped to keep her thoughts in order, keep them even and aligned, like her footsteps.

It wasn't working.

She was trying to make sense of it all- why would Percy keep a photo of her when it was obvious he had no feelings for her outside of friendship?

Not only that, but she was still trying to figure out her feelings regarding Marcus. He was a great friend, to be sure, but something... something held Alice back from trying to go further with him.

Marcus, as a boyfriend? It just didn't feel right, like Percy and Tilda, like Goliath and... anyone. But these strange fluttering feelings had to be for _someone_, so who-

"You ought to be ashamed of yourself, Alice."

She jumped- Cheshire had appeared just behind her. She had grown quite tired of his startling entrances- but that wasn't what was making her so nervous. _You ought to be ashamed of yourself..._

_Could he know about the photo?_

She tried very, very hard to keep her voice calm. "What have I done, Cheshire?"

"You've stolen something- stolen it right out from under his nose!" His yellow eyes glinted. "It's rather naughty to take things that aren't yours, Alice. He's probably missing it already..."

"I haven't stolen anything!" she spluttered.

"Oh, yes you have." he faded in a puff of smoke- and she could only hear his voice, whispering in her ear.

"_You've stolen the Mad Hatter's heart."_

Alice had quite literally forgotten to breathe- The photo was driven out of her mind.

She couldn't believe it. _After all this time... but that means... _

The pieces were rapidly falling into place in her mind, and the more she understood, the more overwhelmed she became.

The cat rematerialized in a nearby tree.

"Yes, you must be very special. So many have tried, but he's never let anyone else have his heart- not even that Tilda girl. But you've up and stolen it, and you haven't even noticed."

The truth was, Alice had thought of little else for months. Not of stealing his heart, but worrying about him and thinking about the things they were going to do that summer, and-

she froze.

It wasn't Marcus she had feelings for at all.

Cheshire's grin stretched even wider.

"Or perhaps... he's seen fit to _give_ it to you."

Alice was shocked she could keep calm as she said, "I have to find him, Cheshire. Where is he?"

He yawned, a bored expression on his face. "Can't you find him yourself?"

"Cheshire!"

"Oh, all right," he drawled, gesturing with his tail.

"That way. West courtyard. And honestly, Alice, I was getting bored waiting for the two of you to fall for each other. Have you been struck blind lately?"

She tossed a well-aimed rock at him, but he was gone long before it reached him and the stone clattered to the ground. Alice could feel her face burning red.

She walked, and with each step, cursed herself for a thousand different kinds of an idiot. How could she not have noticed? All these years, he'd been right there, and he'd been so curious about Elsewhere, so accepting of her silly ideas and always encouraging her to forget about what everyone else thought... and all this time, she'd been oblivious to his affections. All she'd been able to think about was trying to forget Elsewhere, and she'd been so afraid that he wouldn't respond that she actually let herself believe that she didn't... when she really wanted nothing more than...

And then she felt she had to protect him from himself when Squirrelbeard died, and she so badly wanted the real him back, and she thought that she was just being a good friend, when she was really-

Wait. Back up.

If she'd felt this way about him the whole time, and so had Percy, then why hadn't he said anything? Why had he chosen Tilda instead?

_Because he didn't think you returned... oh, no._

Her insides clawed with guilt. How this must have tortured him. All this time... no wonder his eyes had turned blue when he'd seen her in the doorway. He couldn't bear to be so close to her, thinking her affections were elsewhere. She_ had_ made his grief worse.

She had to find him. She had to fix this.

--

Cheshire hadn't lied- Percy was in the West courtyard, hunched on a stone bench. His back was to her, but Alice was still nervous as she approached- why? She had known Percy since she was eleven years old, but now every time she thought about him her skin crawled.

_This is all happening so fast. _

"Percy?"

He whipped his head around, and Alice was startled to see bright red in his eyes. But it soon faded to a dull gray, and he turned away.

"I really don't want to talk right now, Alice."

Her heart twisted for him.

_He's already lost his master, and now he's convinced that he's lost me, too._

She sat down beside him, and was gladdened to see that he did not move away. The gray in his eyes faded a little.

"I'm sorry for eavesdropping on you and Mirabelle. I didn't realize how much I hurt you." She placed her hand over his gloved one. It trembled a little at her touch, and he stared into her eyes in wonder.

For a moment, the gray vanished. But then it returned.

"No, I'm sorry. I just... I've been so out of sorts lately. I don't know what's wrong with me- I think I'm falling apart."

He looked perilously close to tears- the words flooded out of his mouth. "I lost Squirrelbeard, and then I- I was so stupid. I always thought it would be you and Marcus, and I respect that, but I pr... I just couldn't... I tried to get away. I was perfectly horrible to you."

he tried to pull his hand away, but Alice held it firm.

"No." she said quietly. "You don't have to get away, Percy. Because..."

She took a deep breath. She was crazy. She had to be.

"Because it's not going to be me and Marcus. I have feelings for _you._"

For a moment, Percy could do nothing but stare, his eyes orange and his mouth hanging open.

"You... you mean that?" he choked? "Even after seeing my... fit?"

Alice squeezed his hand. "Yes. I'm just sorry it took so long- I never believed in epiphanies, you know, until a minute ago. I never realized how much I liked you, because it got so muddled up in everything that's happened and all the stupid things people think of to fool themselves out of liking someone. I've had feelings for you for years, but it's been coming on so slowly..." she sighed.

"I've just been so blind, Percy, and I've hurt you. Can you forgive me?"

The Hatter closed his eyes, seeming to soak up the words for a long moment.

When he finally opened them again, he was grinning

"Of course I forgive you! It's just... oh, no."

The color drained out of his eyes again. "It's Marcus... he has feelings for you, too."

Alice sighed. "I know. I'll talk to him." She smiled, trying to put on a brave face. "It'll work out, Percy, don't worry. There are plenty of other people who have lived with these kinds of... love triangles. We'll be laughing about this by next summer."

It was so much easier in theory, she was sure. But what other choice did they have?

How she'd laughed at all the girls in school who were so sure they'd found 'the one' after one phone call. How she'd thought they were crazy for believing they could fall for someone so fast. Yet here she sat with Percy, who a day ago she'd considered nothing more than a friend. A best friend, but still a friend. Now?

It was useless debating it. She was smitten. The more Alice looked back over the last few summers, the more she wondered if she always had been. Her feelings for Percy she was sure of. That left just one question she couldn't answer-

What on earth was she going to tell Marcus?

_**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**_

_* A miniskirt and skinny jeans type combo, if that helps. And if it isn't clear, Alice is standing in the doorway during Percy and Mirabelle's tea party. Sorry for not putting that in..._

"_FINALLY!" you cry! XD Hope that wasn't too dramatic- but I couldn't keep the romantic tension between Percy and Alice going any longer. And how will dear Marcus take this, we wonder? :D Stay tuned for the next chapter!_

_Yes, that was ridiculously fast! XD Poor Alice has been stuck in a love triangle for 6 chapters and she didn't even know it. Now, look back at some old chapters and see if you can catch all the hints! :D_

_P.S- there is a reason I am avoiding the word "love" for use between Percy and Alice. I believe that, while hate is a strong word, love is a strong word too, and Alice and Percy aren't quite there yet. (Besides, I don't wanna pull a twilight and make everyone fall madly in love at 18. -______-; )_

_There. Now no one will have to kill me for "avoiding cliché too hard."_

_As always, thanks to my reviewers and readers! You guys are awesome._

_-JadedWarrior_


	14. Anticlimax, anyone?

_**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**_

_It's gonna be a bit slow these next few chapters, I'm warning you. Just bear with me. _

_**CHAPTER 14: Anticlimax, anyone?**_

The three days came and went faster than any others Alice had known, and she soon found herself standing at the foot of the Queen's throne, sword in hand.

"Give up!" she cried, her voice echoing through the lofty chambers. "The Queen of Diamond's forces have destroyed you- relinquish the crown or die!"

The Queen laughed, her face downturned and hidden. "You won't kill me." she chuckled, baring pointed teeth. "You can't even finish my servant."

"Servant?"

Alice gasped- Percy had appeared, his hands chained and a knife held to his throat by a hooded figure.

Alice recognized him immediately and scowled. "The Knave of Hearts. Let him go!"

"No, I don't think I will." The Knave drawled. He tightened his grip, and blood dripped from the steel. "Shall I finish him now, my Queen?"

She grinned. "OFF WITH HIS HEAD!"

"NO!"

Alice awoke with a start, breathing hard and slick with sweat. It was a dream... just a dream...

but it had been more vivid than any dream she could remember. She shuddered- sleep was going to be impossible tonight. So she kicked the blankets off, pulled a hoodie over her nightdress and started walked onto her balcony. She took deep, slow breaths, trying to slow her racing heart while she collected her thoughts.

_It was a dream, Alice. You're nervous about what's to come- and that's normal. Just a dream..._

But in two day's time, the Rebellion would try to overthrow the Queen of Hearts, and that battle would be all too real. Plenty of creatures would lose their heads, and even Percy and Marcus might-

No. She would not permit that thought to form in her mind. They would be fine- there was no reason to worry. The Queen of Diamonds believed that she could put an end to the Queen.

But that didn't stop her stomach from twisting uncomfortably every time she thought of it.

They wanted her to kill someone. They wanted her to be a hero.

How easy it had been to watch NCIS or read books where people killed without a second thought- where the prince slayed the dragon and saved the day. But they didn't say anything about morals, about right and wrong, about the times the Prince has no idea how he's going to kill anyone because he isn't strong enough and he's so terribly, terribly afraid-

"Alice?"

She didn't bother to turn around- she knew that voice anywhere.

"What are you doing up, Percy?" she asked quietly. She heard his shoes clack gently against the stone as he made to stand beside her. "I couldn't sleep." he said quietly. "And, if I may be so bold as to make an assumption, I don't think you could catch a wink either. Bad dreams?"

Alice nodded, staring out at the still-dark sky, speckled with so many stars. "They want me to kill the Queen. What if I'm not strong enough?"

Percy chuckled gently. "Says the woman who single-handedly killed a Bandersnatch."

"That was different. I wasn't single-handed, and we killed the Bandersnatch in self-defense. This is murder, Percy."

"You knew that going in." he said quietly. Alice opened her mouth to retort, affronted, but he cut her off.

"No, listen. The Queen of Hearts seized the throne by force, and we take it back the same way. It's not murder, it's self-defense of all of Wonderland. The real Wonderland."

his face darkened. "It's the Queen who's committed the real murders, Alice."

She sighed. "I know. But kill her? I can't. I... never thought it would be like this."

"What did you think it would be like?"

"I don't know!" Alice cried. "I've tried not to think about it, because the more I do, the more impossible it becomes! I want to get rid of her- I want to save Wonderland, but... I'm just Alice. I'm not a hero, I'm not everyone's savior."

A single tear splashed onto the balcony.

"I'm just Alice. I'm not a hero, and I was stupid to think I could be." she whispered. "A hero wouldn't run away from a stupid dream."

Percy turned her chin with a finger, forcing her to look into his zinnia-colored eyes.

"You _are_ a hero, Alice. You saved us from the Bandersnatch, and you saved me from myself. You were afraid, but you did it anyway. That's what real bravery is." he released her, but she didn't look away.

"But what if I'm not brave enough? What if we lose?"

"We won't lose, Alice, because I _know _you're brave enough." he whispered. "And so does everyone else. Every member of the Rebellion is willing to fight with all they have to take down the usurper- they're all right behind you. _I'm_ right behind you. What chance do the Queen's petty slaves stand?"

She sighed, "But people will die."

"It's war, Alice."

"I know." she whispered. "But I don't know what I would do if it were Marcus... or you."

She remembered her dream and shuddered. "That scares me more than the Queen does."

Percy found her hands and took them into his own.

"Nothing is going to happen to us, Alice. You have to believe that."

He flashed her a sideways grin. "I have told Death, in no uncertain terms, that we are off limits. He shall have to wait a while before I will grace him with my considerable charm."

Alice giggled- she couldn't help it. "I can't imagine that he took that very well."

"He didn't. But he doesn't have a choice- if he so much as _looks _at you or Marcus, he'll have a Mad Hatter to deal with."

Alice smiled, the cold weight of fear lifting from her shoulders.

"Thank you, Percy." she whispered. "I wish you could have met my grandmother- or Amelia. They would have liked you. Amelia would think it fitting that I've fallen for a madman."

A fresh wave of homesickness rolled over her, but she shoved it away. She missed her family, not her world- and part of her family was _here_, in Wonderland. She had to help them.

Percy released her hands (albeit a little reluctantly) and glanced at the sky, which had lightened considerably. Streaks of rose and gold pierced the branches.  
"It looks like the Sun's finally dragged himself out of bed."

Alice nodded. "Indeed. And that means that I've got to get properly dressed- We're supposed to be tested for swordsmanship today, and I've got to beat the stuffing out of you and Marcus."

Percy grinned. "So sure of that, are you?"

"Oh yes, 'Raven Prince.'"

Percy raised his eyebrows. "Ha! I'll have you know that I am a very _fearsome_ Raven Prince. Speaking of which- I'm sure Mira would be delighted if you joined us for tea today."

She couldn't resist giving him a sideways look. "Is that a date?"

His face went bright red. "Well... is that a refusal?"

"Nope."

"Then it is indeed a date. Don't forget your imaginary invitation- she's very picky about that."

Alice nodded, biting her lip to hide a smile as she left the balcony. Today was going to be a bright day indeed- and she was ready for whatever lay ahead tomorrow.

--

She took a light breakfast and headed to the East Courtyard- she had been asked to report there for swordsmanship testing. An ape archer had given her the message, and he'd returned her blade. It banged satisfyingly against her hip as she walked- she'd missed the security carrying a sword could bring. But it was no longer another toy in their summer adventures; it was a tool that she would use to take down the Queen, or die trying.

She reached the training grounds- full of White Cards, monkeys, and every variety of weapon-wielding creature. The flowers had moved themselves into the far corners of the yard to give them space. Marcus waved to her from across the field.

"Finally, you're up!" he said, once she'd reached him. "Ready to get thrashed?"

Alice grinned. "Not if I thrash you and Percy first."

Percy? Oh, no. Her face fell- she still hadn't told Marcus about him. But now wasn't the time.

Ferzin shuffled towards them. "'Ey! Alice!"

She waved at him. "Hello, Ferzin! Come to watch?"

"Aye, I have."

He leaned closer to her, dropping his voice to a whisper. "Don't tell the 'ittle Knight over there, but be shure ta give 'im 'eck from me, Alice. He's licked 'aff my archers already- embarassing."

"But they're archers- they don't carry swords."

"I know- so we made 'im drop 'is blade- that only made 'im worse."

Alice laughed aloud- showoff.

"Don't worry. I've beaten him before, and I'll do it again."

And with that, Marcus and Alice began circling each other, grins set on their faces. One minute... two...

Then Alice exploded into action, lunging at him. Marcus ducked her wild stab easily, sweeping out a leg to trip her. But she was too quick, and jumped over it, swiping with her sword. He parried it, and they danced back and forth across the yard, steel flashing in the sun. The other fighters had abandoned their matches to watch the spectacle, eyes wide. This fight looked like it would end like the first- both teenagers were evenly matched, and neither could make much headway. Alice would have to wait for an opening, or...

She grinned. She'd give Marcus the surprise of his life.

She made a wild slash upward, and as he leaned back to avoid it she smashed the hilt of her sword against his hand, sending his weapon flying. He tried to grab it, but overbalanced and wound up flat on his back. Alice flicked her sword to his throat.

"Dead. Who's been thrashed now?"

Marcus sighed. "All right, all right- you win! Let me up!"

She released him, and helped him to his feet. She made to sheathe her sword, when she felt a tap on her shoulder.

"Mind if I cut in?"

Percy. She nodded, and the circle of onlookers whispers intensified. They circled each other just as she and Marcus had, but this time, Alice was nervous. She hadn't fought Percy before- he'd preferred to spar with Marcus, if at all. And fighting with a Mad Hatter was sure to be difficult... not to mention the fact that their swords were sharp. She could hurt him.

But he knew that- and the mischievous smile on his face was infectious. So she said nothing, eyes narrowed as she waited for him to make a move.

She didn't have to wait long.

He flew forward in a rush of motion, and Alice barely managed to dodge a wild swipe. He was fast! Marcus had more finesse, sure, but Percy flew at her with a series of blows so fast and so wild that it was all she could do to avoid being hit. She winced- she knew he would never try to hurt her, but he was a madman, and he was certainly fighting like one. He drove her pace after pace towards the other side of the circle, and Alice knew grimly that she had a few more steps before she'd lost.  
"Ready to give up?"

"Never!" Alice grinned devilishly- she wasn't letting Percy get the best of her. She could play his speed against him.

She leapt back, and onlookers scrambled to avoid her. Percy was left slashing wildly at the air, and one kick was enough to send him sprawling.

Or, it would have been, if he hadn't accidentally tripped Alice in the process. She shrieked as they both tumbled to the ground in a heap, but it was lost in the roar of applause.

"I've never seen such swordsmanship!"

"Licked 'em both! In a row!"

"That's our Alice, that is!"

"Wait- but didn't the Hatter just win?"

"Bah- who cares? That was _awesome_!"

But she wasn't listening. She could only hear the blood rushing in her ears and the rapid pulse of her heart- she was pinned underneath Percy, their faces inches apart... if just one of them leaned forward, even a little-

"Are you all right?"

Marcus' voice jolted Alice from her less than innocent thoughts, and Percy sprang off of her as if he'd been burned. Both of their faces were very pink.

"Erm, yeah, we're fine." muttered Alice, sheathing her sword. "Did we pass the test?"

"_Pass_?" Ferzin interrupted. "At's some 'a the best fightin' I've evuh seen! The bloody usurper's gonna be in for a _nasty _surprise the day after next!"

Alice's stomach jolted at the thought. "Yeah." she said, her smile coming off as more of a grimace.

The three of them finally managed to extricate themselves from the roaring crowd, who insisted upon patting their backs and calling out raucous war cries. Alice sighed- the intense fights had left her breathless- she just wanted to find a place to sit down and rest. But once they left the courtyard, Marcus tapped her on the shoulder.  
"Alice, can I ask you something?" he whispered. She nodded- noting that Percy had wandered away from them, incredibly interested in a pebble on the ground.

When Marcus deemed them out of earshot, he asked, "I was wondering... some of the other warriors were going to go on a fishing excursion tonight, to stock up on supplies. I... you always liked fishing, right? Would you like to come?"

His expression was so earnest and shy, Alice didn't have the heart to tell him that she was an awful fisherman and couldn't bear to injure the poor things. But instead, she said,

"I'm really sorry, Marcus- I promised Percy that I'd have tea with him and a little girl named Mirabelle. She's a cute little thing- always making up stories. Could you come with _us_?"

She inwardly winced as she watched his face fall, and she didn't miss the dark look he shot at Percy.

"No, thanks." he said coldly. "I guess I'll just catch up to you later."

She called after him, but he wasn't listening- and it was only after he was out of sight that she realized that she had forgot to tell him about her real feelings.

She sighed- it was no good approaching him now. She supposed... it wouldn't hurt to wait one more day.

Would it?

_Oh, if Alice only knew._

_**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**_

_OH, THE SUSPENSE! XD_

_Yeah, two rounds of sparring were a little excessive, I'll admit, but Percy demanded to fight. XD I am a slave to my characters and my threatening reviewers, it seems. And THERE! XD 3 chapters added in one day! Now you guys will have plenty to read until I add chapter 15, which should be in a day or two. _

_-JadedWarrrior_


	15. The Beginning of the End

_**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**_

_Wow- chapter 15! I can't believe how far we've come! :D And I've been asked to include more details, so here we go. More details._

_**CHAPTER 15: The Beginning of the End**_

Once Percy had made his apologies for abandoning the last tea party, Mirabelle accepted them onto the balcony. ("Accepting" including numerous hugs and individual introductions to all of her stuffed animals. Percy shook the paw of each one, much to the little girl's delight and Alice's barely-contained laughter.) She was still nagged by guilt for Marcus' disappointment, but... she had promised. And he'd refused her alternative, so she shoved the guilty thoughts in the back of her mind and focused on the tea party- all invisible, of course.

"Wonderful tea, Mirabelle." Alice gushed, taking a sip. The little girl grinned. "Thank you, Miss Alice. Could you pass Mrs. Florenza the crumpets?"

She picked up the empty plate of "crumpets" and glanced at the animals slumped in their chairs.. "Er... which one is..?"

"I've got it." said Percy quickly, taking the plate from her. Alice gasped when his hands briefly closed over hers, and she didn't miss the wink, either.

"You did that on purpose." she whispered, when she was sure Mirabelle wasn't listening. Percy leaned closer, a roughish grin on his face. "Any objections?"

She grinned- when had he become so bold?

"None whatsoever."

"Good." He placed the tray in front of a giraffe, which was clad in a light blue bonnet. Alice recognized Percy's style in it immediately- she had seen his work many times before. In fact- all the animals were wearing artful hats- newsboy caps, beanies, bonnets- there was even a fedora perched atop a stuffed weasel. "Did you make these?"

He nodded vigorously. "Oh yes- I've made Miri a veritable treasure trove of hats for her animals. They love them- isn't that right, Mr. Harumphus?"

To no one's surprise, the stuffed bear didn't answer. But his stitched smile might have widened a little...

"So, Alice- you're gonna beat the Queen and save everybody, right?" asked Mirabelle, biting her lip. She seemed to be considering something.

Percy gave her a sidelong glance laden with worry, but his fears were unfounded. Alice was no longer weighted down by terror- Only a grim acceptance of what she must do.

"Yes, Miri." she said unwaveringly. "I only hope I can save everybody."

The little girl cocked her head, frowning in concentration. "But that makes you the Prince. And if the Queen's the Dragon... then Percy's gotta be the Princess!"

It was several minutes before Alice and Percy could stop laughing long enough to speak.

"Oahahaha... Princess Percy. How fitting. I think we should put you in a tiara! Hahaha!"

He tried to look indignant, but it gave way to more laughter. "Oh, yes? Well-Oahhahaha- if I'm going to wear a tiara, then you're eheheheeehee going to wear a dress. A pink fluffy one with frills."

Alice looked aghast. "Ugh! I'd rather wear an old dishrag."

Percy seemed to be seriously considering this, and Alice was about to stop his train of thought before it got any further (She wouldn't put it past him to attempt a dishrag dress.) when Mirabelle spoke up. "Alice, what's in your pocket?"

"My pocket?" Alice echoed. She glanced at her hoodie and stiffened- a piece of paper was poking out of the pocket.

_That wasn't there yesterday. How...?_

But anything was possible in Wonderland, so she simply shrugged and unfolded it. It was rumpled and waterstained in a few places, but she could make out the words:

**We need to talk. West courtyard, 2:30. Come alone.**

Alice's heart froze- she knew that handwriting.

Marcus.

West Courtyard. But that was the same place that she and Percy had met at the day before. Could he have found about Percy on his own? Alice groaned- that would make things much harder.

"Alice?" The Hatter looked worried. He glanced at the note and whispered, "Do you want me to go with you?"

She shook her head. "I can handle Marcus on my own."

He nodded grimly, quickly forcing a smile when Mirabelle questioned him about it. He struck up a conversation with her about Rumplestorkers, but Alice could tell his heart wasn't in it. She tried vainly to ignore the gray in his eyes as she bid them goodbye and slipped out of the room.

There's nothing to be worried about.

_...right?_

--

"I got your note." said Alice curtly. Marcus didn't react- he simply stood, brow furrowed. He said nothing for a long moment. But when he finally spoke, Alice couldn't believe the words that came from his mouth.

"You have to stay away from Percy, Alice. He's not the man you think he is."

She had expected irritation, jealousy, even tears- but not this. Alice could barely choke out words. "Marcus, what's wrong with you? This isn't like you at all!"

He took a step closer, and Alice instinctively stepped back. There was something feral in his eyes.

"I know you think he loves you, but you have to stay away! It's just a part of his game."

He shot her a look that was part madness, part fear.

"What are you_ talking _about?" Alice snapped. He wasn't making sense, and for the first time in her life, she was a little afraid of him...

Marcus smiled pityingly. "So he didn't tell you. Percy's a real charmer, you know. You're not the only one that's melted under those pretty orange eyes. Tilda Branksworth, Nami Crossweld... even, perhaps, Lady Chevelle. His eyes are practically hypnotic to the poor local girls- it's not something he can control... or would _want _to con-"

"Shut up!" Alice snapped. "Why are you bothering to tell me this? I don't care who he's been seeing."

Marcus laughed mirthlessly. "Oh, but you do. You're not a good liar, Alice."

"How do you know?" It was a childish and stupid thought, and both of them knew it. The paige sighed, his gaze softening.

"Alice, he reeled in all those girls, on purpose or not, and broke all of their hearts. I just don't want him to take yours, too. You have to stay away. "

He stepped closer- too close, and placed his hands on her waist. She felt frozen in place- she wanted to run, to push him away, but her every muscle was paralyzed. She could not move, but she understood. She just couldn't believe it of her best friend.  
"I just want what's best for you, Alice."

It took her a few moments before she could finally choke, "Now I get it. Why you're acting this way."

She stepped back, a glare forming on her face. "You're just jealous. You always have been!"

His stare hardened. "I'm trying to protect you."

"I don't _need_ to be protected!"

"Don't be so sure of that- Percy isn't entirely human. I've seen him at work-"

"He's your best friend!"

"Yes!" Marcus snapped. "He is. And so are you. I've seen the way girls get around him- it's not natural. Please, Alice." He looked almost desperate. "Tell me he hasn't gotten to you."  
Alice wanted to punch him, but her anger was tempered by another, more sinister sensation...

Fear. Could that be it- could that be the only source of her attraction to Percy? But she pushed the thought away.

_He's my best friend! _

"I'm not going to tell you anything! It's none of your business!" she cried. "This isn't like you, Marcus."

His eyes darkened. "Maybe you don't know me as well as you think."

That stung. She shot him a hard stare and turned to leave, but Marcus seized hold of her upper arm.

Alice slowly swiveled to face him, her face livid.

"_Let. Go." _

"No." he growled. "Has Percy gotten to you?"

Alice's rage finally broke. "No. He didn't 'get to me-' I confessed feelings for him, and he did the same. And I don't regret it- not if he'd seen all the Tildas in the world!"

A vein throbbed in Marcus' temple. He raised a hand to slap her, but a blur of motion stopped him in his tracks.

_CRACK!_

A fist connected with his face with a sickening crunch, and he fell to his knees, hissing in pain. Alice stood frozen in shock, massaging the feeling back into her arm.

Because it wasn't she who'd hit him.

Percy stood next to her, breathing hard and every muscle taut. His eyes were red as blood.

Alice didn't know what was more shocking- that Percy had hit Marcus, or that Marcus had deserved it.

"Don't you_ touch_ her." the Hatter snarled. Marcus brushed a finger over his rapidly swelling eye, shooting Percy a look of utmost hatred.

"You could have had _anyone_, you filthy half-breed. Any blasted girl in the whole country."

He struggled to his feet. "It just had to be Alice, didn't it? You couldn't let me have anything for my own, you Outlandish son of a-"

"NO!" Alice cried, shoving herself between Percy and Marcus. "Stop it, you two! We can't fight amongst ourselves!"

But neither of them were listening, and the tension between them was almost tangible

"You broke your promise, Hatter. You swore you'd stay away from her."

Alice's blood froze. She turned to Percy, pleading with her eyes that it wasn't true, for her best friends couldn't have gone behind her back like this, couldn't have treated her like a toy to be fought over....

His eyes faded to blue for a moment as they met hers, their message clear-

_I'm sorry. _

But all contrition vanished as his eyes locked with Marcus'

"That promise was a mistake." Percy growled. "But I didn't break it. Alice _chose _me."

The paige tore his sword from it's sheath. "You LIAR!"

"MARCUS!" Alice shoved him hard in the chest, knocking him down. They stared at each other for a long moment, breathing hard. Blue eyes met turqoise, and for the first time, Alice didn't recognize the man she saw there. But when he spoke, he wasn't talking to her.

"You'll die for this, Hatter." he said, in a deathly quiet voice. _"Make no mistake."_

It was all Alice could do to restrain Percy as he lunged for him.

"You urpal SLACKING SCRACKISH SCRUM-"

Marcus made a rude hand gesture and stormed out of the courtyard. Alice's eyes shot between her two best friends, terrified as she watched Squirrelbeard's last wish for them fall to ashes. "MARCUS! MARCUS, COME BACK!"

_You three are a family- you must protect each other._

"MARCUS!"

The family was falling apart right before her eyes, and Alice didn't even notice the tears cascading down her cheeks.

_We've failed. _

She didn't know when Percy stopped struggling or when he took her into his shaking arms- she just buried her face into his chest and cried as he cried, their tears falling like raindrops on the grass.

Raindrops that weren't so magical anymore.

--

The paige's swears grew louder and more coarse with each step he took away from the castle. Marcus didn't know where he was going, but he knew that he was going to get out of that clearing and away from that thrice blasted Hatter- he didn't deserve a first name anymore.

It wasn't good enough that he was the favorite apprentice, the beloved urchin Squirrelbeard had scraped off the streets. It wasn't enough that he'd grown into a lady-killer who could have any girl he wanted. Tt wasn't good enough, was it? No, he had to give Marcus one last slap in the face- he had to take Alice away from him. The one person who had, perhaps, understood... who was so blindingly, utterly beautiful...

He swore again, kicking a rock.

NO! He had to take her away too, blind her with his witchcraft and his THRICE-BLASTED charms, the dirty, half-bred son of a-

He gave a strangled yell as strong hands grasped him from behind, gagging him. Metal. That meant

Cards. He glanced frantically around the clearing as he kicked and struggled- he was surrounded by gold-and-white soldiers.

"LET GO OF ME! WE'RE ON THE SAME SIDE!" he managed to shout, kicking one in the shin. But it was no good- the metal cards were cold and unyielding. But... something flaked off where he had kicked it...

Paint. And underneath it, bright red steel.

_Fates, no. This can't be happening... _

Cold, silky laughter filled the air as a hooded figure strode into the circle of cards.

"Did you miss me, Marcus?"

It was the Knave of Hearts.

_**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**_

_HAHAAHAHA! CLIFFHANGERS ABOUND! _

_Okay, yeah, I'll update faster this time. But still- *EVIL LAUGHTER*_

_*Ahem* Okay. The temptation to use some bad language in this chapter was terrible, but I figured it was better not to. It would have given it more drama, but then again.... oh well. Yes- Marcus is not a happy camper. But he's paid for his outburst, poor thing... Let's hope Alice and co can get him back from the Queen and fix this._


	16. Foreshadowing is Fun :D

_**CHAPTER 16: Foreshadowing is fun :D**_

_'Nuff said. Enjoy the chapter!_

--

When Marcus didn't return that night, Alice wasn't worried. He needed time. They all needed time. Time to cry, time to piece their hearts back together- time to ask themselves what could have possibly invoked such change in their best friend.

Time to realize that they already knew. The anger had been creeping into him for years.

They just hadn't noticed. No one had! They had all been so blind.

Stupid, stupid, stupid!

They hadn't worried about his constant clashes with Gregory, hadn't worried when he talked about having strange dreams, hadn't worried when he'd fallen for Alice.

But the whole castle was thrown into a frenzy when they found the note on the gate.

Missing someone?

Her highness, the Queen of Hearts, is willing to make a trade- Our Knight for your Alice.

At sundown tomorrow we slit his throat.

-Valerus Evinstar, the Knave of Hearts

No matter what Marcus had done and said, Alice's heart still stopped when she read the note.

They had to get him back. They would find a way to right the wrongs they had wrought. They had fought before- they always figured it out. Everything would be all right again.

_You're a terrible liar, Alice. _

Everything would not be all right again, of course. Marcus had threatened to kill Percy, tried to hit Alice, and had raved like a madman.

No, not a madman. Madmen were whimsical and silly and passionate. Marcus's behavior was... something else.

There was so much in that argument- bottled-up anger, underlying motives and deep-set hatred. They had almost acted as if Alice wasn't there. She pounded the wall in frustration-

why was she always a step behind? She'd missed so much during the winter. They'd changed.

_Marcus was right- maybe I didn't know him as well as I thought._

They had all made mistakes- all contributed to this tangled mess they were in. And there was only one way to start unraveling it.

It was these thoughts that bolstered Alice as she walked down the hallway and pushed Percy's door open. It looked like a hurricane had torn through it- clothes and bedding were shredded and scattered everywhere, and every piece of furniture had been upended. Alice inwardly winced- she must have just missed another fit. Her friend was hunched in a corner, shaking, though no tears fell down his face.

This time, his eyes were red, not blue.

"Percy?"

As she expected, his head whipped up, set in a feral snarl. But his gaze softened when he recognized her.

"Alice. I'm... I'm sorry about the state of my room." he said weakly, gesturing to the mess around them.

She sighed, sinking to the floor beside him. Again. She tentatively put a hand on his shoulder, and was glad when he did not shrug it off.

"Percy, is this about what happened last night?"

He nodded, staring at the floor.

"I need you to tell me everything. Please..." she added, as he opened his mouth to interrupt. "You two have been keeping secrets from me. We can't afford to be blind anymore, not when it can put us in danger."

He dropped his gaze to the floor. "Everything?"

"From the beginning."

Percy met her eyes for a long moment, and Alice watched the red drain out of them. He sighed. "The very beginning? That's a long ways back, Alice."

She said nothing- she didn't have to. He knew that she wouldn't back down.

"All right." he said wearily. "The beginning. Three years ago, Marcus figured out that I had feelings for you. He convinced me to promise to stay away from you- to let him make advances towards you instead."

"How could you do that?" interrupted Alice. Percy raised an eyebrow, and she sighed. "Sorry. I'll let you finish.* It's just... it really hurt when you two went behind my back like that. If you'd only told me..."

She trailed off. What would she had done? What could any of them have done?

"I love questions nearly as much as I like Squimberry tea, Alice, but I don't want to be here until sunset." said Percy quietly.

"Sorry."

He continued, "Marcus is- _was_, my best friend. And so are you. He convinced me that staying away would protect you from my... fits." he laughed bitterly. "Even without them, his argument is persuasive. He did admit to liking you first, and I'm not entirely human, and I do have a certain... history... with other girls."

Alice rolled her eyes. "Okay then- I'll just let the big, strong boys choose my fate for me. I mean, since when have _I _known what's good for me? My gosh, you two could give sexist lessons to Edward Cullen."

Her voice dripped sarcasm, and Percy could not suppress a grin. The gray in his eyes began to fade.

"Forgotten about interrupting already, eh? No, don't apologize." he added quickly, when she showed every sign of doing so. "It's one of the things I like most about you. Now, once I agreed to his promise, I did as it said and tried to distance myself from you. I thought that I could find someone else, I tried to forget...but they aren't you, Alice. They could never be you. So I tried, again and again, to forget. Eventually, I just gave up."

He smiled. "The rest, of course, is history."

Alice bit her lip- this left her with only one more question.

"Marcus said you weren't entirely human. If, if you don't mind me asking..." she trailed off, too embarrassed to say more. But Percy didn't seem offended.

"I never knew my parents, but Squirrelbeard told me that they were important members of the Resistance. My father was a member of the Tribes- the roving families of the Outlands, and my mother was a merchant's daughter from the Kingdom of Diamonds. Or, what used to be." he added sadly.

That made sense- all the Outlanders Alice had seen possessed strangely streaked hair and brightly colored eyes. Their eyes sometimes darkened when angry, but none possessed her friend's wide range of colors.

_Perhaps being mad has something to do with it._

"I don't mean to upset you, but Marcus... he made being half-Outlandish sound like a bad thing. But all the Outlanders I've met have been wonderful. Everyone in Wonderland can speak at least a little Outlandish."

Percy's brow furrowed. "I've been thinking about that... that was a low blow. There are... some members of society... that consider Outlanders second-class citizens. Mostly the Red One's lot."

His eyes flashed red, and he growled. "The Knave of Hearts, for instance."

"None of that." she said quickly.

He shook himself and the red faded. "Sorry. The terrain is rough in the Outlands- the only people who live there are the Tribesmen. They aren't quite as human-looking as Wonderlanders, and they're stronger and faster."

"Which explains why I can outrun you with my eyes closed."

He nudged her playfully. "All right, so I get my slowness from my mother. But I certainly look like an Outlander, thus Marcus'... insult...."

His eyes threatened to go red again, but he managed to shake himself of it. Now was not the time for a fit. He snaked an arm around her waist, pressing her against his side.

_He's so warm._

Alice blushed fiercely at the thought, but she wasn't about to pull away.

"Does it bother you, that I'm not entirely human?" he whispered. Genuine apprehension clouded his eyes, and Alice realized, again, how much he trusted her. This must have tortured him for years.

She stroked his cheek, tracing his jawline.

"No." Alice whispered. "It doesn't bother me at all. Percy, hardly anyone from Wonderland is entirely human- that's not even considering the standards of my world."

She dropped her hand from his jaw and rested it on his shoulder.

"You're perfectly mad, just the way you are. Your parentage doesn't change that."

Then Percy did something rather rash. He had been thinking about it for a long time, on and off (mostly on) but wouldn't have dared to do it, not when he wasn't sure of her affections, then not so soon after she'd confessed feelings for him. There was always a reason to wait. But when she said those words, her touch sending shivers down his spine, he lost himself.

He threw both arms around her and kissed her.

At first she was stiff in his arms, and Percy was terrified that he'd done the wrong thing.

But his fears evaporated when she leaned into him and pressed her lips more firmly against his.

It was magic- warm, soft, and utterly electrifying. For a moment, his fears fell away, and he knew nothing but her, and her warm body, and the hand he had buried in her sweet-smelling hair. Only the need for air forced them to part.

Alice's eyes were wide and glowing- Percy decided that he liked them that way the best.

"We just... you... and me..." she seemed almost incapable of words, and for a wild moment, he thought about kissing her again. Then, she burst into peals of laughter.

"What?" Percy snapped, affronted. Alice's face was buried in her hands in a vain attempt to hide her laughter. Did she think him silly, for trying to kiss her?

"Of all people, I had to fall for a Mad Hatter. Someone just as, if not more mad than I am- Amelia would have a field day. And I don't regret it for a moment."

Percy held her close again, and Alice had never recalled feeling so safe, or warm. She felt his breath against her ear as he whispered. "Neither do I."

Alice smiled, snuggling against his side.

"It's just... for so long... I've always thought that romance was for fairy tales. For deluded people. Now I've seen how wrong I was."

Gray crept into Percy's eyes, and Alice knew immediately that she'd said the wrong thing.

"Am I deluded, then, Alice? Because I'm certainly interested in you.... romantically."

She shook her head, a wide smile on her face. "No. It was me who was deluded, to think I could sneer down my nose at all those girls, giggling about going to prom with a senior..."

He cocked his head, eyes snapping back to orange. "Prom? Where's that?"

"Not where- what. It's a dance." she smiled shyly, and Percy felt the strange urge to kiss her again. "I would've liked to go with you, if things were... different."

"Different?"

"Well, we'd need to find you proper attire, tickets, a high school ID card..." she sighed. "I'd love to take you, but I don't know if I'll survive until junior year. What with the Queen of Hearts, and-"

A gloved finger lay atop her lips, silencing her.

"What have I told you about Death and I?" Percy whispered, gazing into her eyes with a quiet intensity.

He lowered his finger, allowing Alice to answer.

"You had an agreement."

"Precisely. Death is to stay away from you, by all means. He posed a hard bargain, but he caved in the end."

Alice chose her next words carefully. "Death promised to stay away from Marcus, too." Percy scowled at the floor, and didn't answer. She laid a hand on his cheek. It should have felt strange to touch her best friend this way, but to Alice, it felt as natural as hugging a parent. (Though Goliath and Macbeth were entirely unhuggable creatures.) It was as if a piece of a puzzle had slid into place. It was...right.

Alice mentally shook herself, banishing the intoxicating thoughts. Now was not the time.

"Marcus has much to answer for, but he doesn't deserve to die. He's still my friend. I know he's hurt you terribly, so I won't call him yours, too, but I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive him."

"When we get him back... we'll work this out. I have to believe that."

They had to believe that this was just one crack in a long, unblemished friendship. Just one mess, so large close up, that blended seamlessly into the even, endless spikes and valleys of life.

Because if they lost that hope, they had already lost Marcus.

The door rapped smartly, and Alice reluctantly pulled herself away from Percy's side and opened it. Ferzin stood outside, looking grave.

"Queen wants 'ta see yer, in the Throne Room."

Percy was instantly on his feet, straightening his hat. He uttered one word:

"Marcus?"

"Aye. About 'im, and the battle."

Alice nodded, and allowed the rugged ape to escort them to the Throne Room. Alice's stomach flipped uncomfortably- whatever the Queen was going to tell them, it wasn't going to be good.

--

The Queen of Diamonds did not look happy.

The excited, almost childish rapture about her on their first meeting was gone, replaced by the gray pallor of one who has been emotionally and physically drained. She sighed, running a hand through her golden hair.

"You two have caused quite a ruckus."

Not sure how to respond to such a forward statement, they remained silent- Alice was suddenly fascinated with the patterns on her shoes. If the Queen noticed their embarrassment, she made no comment on it.

"You've both read the note- you know that Marcus Raine has been kidnapped, and what my sister wants in return for him."

Alice's pulse quickened. She had been trying hard not to think of the possibility that they couldn't save Marcus, choosing to assume that he would be back in a few days, that they would snatch him from the jaws of disaster, as always happened in-

She mentally slapped herself. She had to stop thinking like this. This wasn't a stupid storybook, this was real. She couldn't continue denying the fact that her friend was in mortal peril, and it might take more power than she had to save him.

"My guards have informed me that the two of you were last seen with him. They did not say more, but they heard shouting."

Alice had expected this, and steeled herself for the answer she must give.

"The circumstances being as they are, we need to know what happened before Marcus' capture. It may be the key to his release."

Percy said nothing, still staring at the floor. Alice answered for him,

"There is nothing to tell, Your Highness. We argued, and Marcus left the courtyard. We did not see him again after that."

The Queen's eyes flashed. "The Rebellion's position is precarious at best, Alice. Lying in this matter could be the death of your friend, and us. Has he turned traitor?"

"No." she said quickly. "He was angry over a personal matter, nothing to do with the war."

Alice did not want to relive the details of their fight again, not yet. Revealing the depth of Marcus's anger felt almost like betraying him.

"Fine." said the Queen curtly. " But I will make this perfectly clear: there is to be no hostage exchange. Alice is too valuable to lose, and I am not so naïve as to think my sister will play her game fairly. If we cannot retrieve Marcus by other means, then we will have no choice but to-"

"You're going to let him die?" Alice interrupted, scarcely below shouting. "You can't just-"

"I am the true Queen of Wonderland. I can do whatever I want." she said coldly. "I have no intention of letting your friend die if it can be avoided. But this is war- we have no room for emotional attachments. If it is Marcus' life for the thousands my sister may slaughter in the future, his death will be with honor. You will not adress me in such a manner again, New Alice or not."

She didn't raise her voice, but her tone was the commanding and clipped- the voice of one who demanded respect from her underlings. It made Alice's ears burn red and forced her eyes to the floor.

The Queen sighed and her voice softened. "I am truly sorry for this, Alice. It cannot be easy to have such heavy burdens thrust upon you. But you must try to understand."

She nodded. Percy glanced up from the floor- he had been staring motionlessly at it the entire time, eyes cycling from gray to blue to red and back again.

The Queen continued, "We march for the castle tonight. When we reach it, I will send a team of my best men into the castle to search- but Marcus will likely be kept in plain sight as a hostage. If they can't save him, the battle will commence as planned: We will engage my sister's troops in the front of the castle while Alice challenges the Queen. We'll do everything we can to keep her cards away from you, but you will have to be careful." she sighed. "The Queen of Hearts is not an honorable ruler- she will not enter the fray herself. You will have to hunt her out. And then there's the Knave..."

"I'll deal with the Knave." said Percy curtly. His knuckles were white beneath the gloves. The Queen nodded in agreement.

"The Knave will not be far from the Queen- he will either act as a bodyguard or the leader of the main force."The Queen gave him a long, searching stare. "I do not recommend that you challenge him alone. The Knave of Hearts is a deadly fighter."

The Hatter touched the 10/6 card on his hat, his face unreadable.

"I know."

_**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**_

_YEAH! NEXT CHAPTER IS THE FINAL BATTLE! :D _

_I'm splittin' it into two chapters, so you'll have to wait just a biiit longer._

_*NO, that was not a Kanye West v. Taylor Swift reference! ACCEPT IT! XD Though honestly, I was thinking about it..._

_Okay, I will be really, seriously mad if anyone complains about the graphic kissing scene. -_____-; Y'all's read romance novels before, you've seen worse. I'm not about to have my grandma read it, but Percy and Alice needed to kiss! :D And you asked for more details, so there._

_PUT COOL WHIP ON THAT AND EAT IT! XD_

_I dunno, I forgot the phrase... read and review, please? :D _


	17. Red Blood, Black Hearts

_**CHAPTER 17: Red Blood, Black Hearts**_

_LET THE CLIMACTIC BATTLE SCENE COMMENCE! :D _

_This'll be a reeeeeal long chapter, so bear with meh. _

--

Click. Click. Click.

The metal tips of the Knave's boots made a pleasing sound on the red tiles. He strode towards the throne, his Queen silhouetted in the cold light from the windows. It did nothing to brighten the deep reds and blacks of the room, which was high-ceilinged and strung with rich tapestries. The Queen was impossible to see in the surrounding light, but that was as she liked it. Let her subjects cower at the feet of their faceless, black-hearted Queen.

But not the Knave- he didn't need to cower. If he had his way, he wouldn't need to cower to anyone again.

But of course, he wasn't about to let _her_ know that.

"Your Grace," he said grandly, sinking into a sweeping bow. "The prisoner has been secured and your men are in place.

"And the Rebels?"

"Our scouts have spotted them; huddled in the surrounding woods like rabbits. It appears that they are attempting an ambush."

The Queen sighed, looking almost bored with the proceedings. "Laughable. Is Alice with them?"

"Of course. But I propose we play a game with them first... to make things more interesting."

The mad monarch grinned, white teeth shimmering in the cold light.

"I've always loved your games, Valerus. Proceed."

--

Dawn.

The sun was dulled by a thin layer of clouds that coated the sky in a silvery sheet. An icy breeze whispered in the thousands of swaying trees, chilling Alice through her armor.

It was the calm before the storm.

They were crouched in the fringes of the woods, staring across a rippling sea of brittle brown grass surrounding the castle. It loomed scarcely a half-mile away. Cream bricks were overlaid with sharp red and black hearts- some formed lofty archways, others framed windows. The towers were topped with deadly-looking red spires, and the whole thing twisted together into a truly forbidding structure.

The Castle of Hearts? Nothing had ever looked less like love.

Creatures had died in there- tortured and killed by their tyrannical Queen. This was the epicenter of all evil in Wonderland, and it seemed nothing green or beautiful could grow around it.

It was draining all the color from her world.

And Alice was determined to destroy it.

A gentle touch on her arm distracted her from her thoughts.

It was, as she expected, Percy.

"You'll be all right, Alice." he said quietly. "In a few hours, this will all be over. We'll have Marcus back, and the world will be right again."

She turned to look at him, and was surprised that he hadn't outfitted himself specially for battle- he hadn't even worn any armor. The only difference was the white-and gold sash slung across his chest- the mark of the Resistance.

"Why aren't you wearing armor?"

She was incredulous- he was a madman, not a fool. Marching into battle without armor was practically suicide. But he only shrugged.

"Squirrelbeard didn't wear any."

She opened her mouth to reply, but closed it again. There was simply no reasoning with him in matters of his master's death.

"Are you nervous, Alice?" he asked.

She nodded. "Nervous" was much, much too simple a word for the icy panic condensed in her stomach, but she was determined to keep it at bay. It was just like the battle with the Bandersnatch- there was no room for fear. Hesitation would be the death of them.

Forget icy panic. This was more like a blizzard crammed between her ribs. But she put on a brave face and smiled at him.

"I'll be all right." she managed to say.

Percy nodded and walked away, leaving her at the front of the group of fighters- Each one outfitted in gold and white.

Soon to be soaked in the red of blood.

A horn sounded, and Alice banished the dark thoughts from her mind.

Thud. Thud. Thud. Just one foot in front of the other.

--

"They are coming."

Valerus nodded at the Red Card, dismissing him. The Knave stood on the ramparts, watching the line of Rebels march across the plain, kicking up a cloud of dust. They rumbled like an oncoming storm- a storm that would soon break.

_Speaking of storms..._

He glanced at the sky and cursed. Rain. He hated rain.

"Get into position!" he barked. Rows upon rows of Cards marched out of the gates, metal crashing and clanging with each step. Valerus grinned- he really did love that sound. Nearly as much as he loved the sounds of screaming.

And he would hear plenty of that before the day was done.

--

They had finally reached the castle.

Alice winced as she watched the Cards pour from the gates- the Rebellion were heavily outnumbered and soon to be surrounded. The element of surprise had been lost.

But that was the point, wasn't it? This was all a game- an elaborate distraction to allow Alice passage into the castle, and for Marcus to be rescued.

But the Red Cards just kept coming. They didn't just spring from the gates, but from the surrounding brush as well. Before Alice quite knew what had happened, they were ringed in bristling red steel. The Rebellion's forces grouped together quickly, faces drawn and weapons pointing outward. Whatever the bloody tyrant was trying to do, they would be ready. The two armies stood face to face, glaring across the stretch of no-man's land between them. The silence was almost tangible, crackling with energy. Any moment now, a horn would sound, a card would step forward- something would start the avalanche of war.

But nothing did.

They stood there in silence for the longest moment Alice had ever endured, her limbs aching with suppressed tension.

Finally, someone stepped forward. But the action did not unleash a tide of motion, as she'd expected.

Instead, the Knave of Hearts sauntered out of the gates, stopping near the center of the circle. Alice's pulse quickened.

The Queen of Diamonds' strategy? Gone. All bets were now off.

Alice would have to improvise.

"As you can see," drawled the Knave. "You are outnumbered at least two to one. Your beloved Knight has been captured, and my men are more than willing to slaughter you all."

He let the statement stand for a moment, earning him some harsh curses and jeers by the Rebellion's forces. (Most of which I can't repeat without bumping this fic's rating to M.)

The Knave ignored their protests, sweeping his gaze across the crowd to rest upon the Queen of Diamonds.

"Elaira, you have made a foolish decision. Your sister, the rightful Queen of Wonderland-"

"'Rightful Queen?'" barked Ferzin, cutting him off. "The Red One is as rightful a Queen as I am. Down with the bloody tyrant!"

Resounding cheers met this statement, and only a harsh shout from the Knave could silence them.

"As I was saying," he snarled. "The almighty Queen of Hearts is willing to offer you clemency. Swear allegiance to the Crown and relinquish the New Alice to us, and we will let your men go free."

The Queen's eyes flashed, and she was filled with such a beautiful, terrible anger unlike Alice had ever seen.

"Clemency? My sister can keep her clemency- it isn't worth the lie it was spun from. If she is to give me anything, it is to be her crown. The crown that is rightfully mine!"

Another thunderous cheer met this statement, and this time, even the Knave could not quiet it. Alice felt the weight of fear lessen.

_Perhaps we have a chance after all._

But a thrill of fear shot through Alice when she saw the Knave's face. He was not glaring anymore- his face was set in a malicious grin.

"So be it." he said simply, when the noise had quieted. "If you will not trade for our captive's life, then I will make a new proposition."

Alice's eyes narrowed.

"If it comes to battle, you will lose. You know it, and so does every creature here. So why must we all fight? I propose a clash of champions, winner take all."

The Queen glared at him. "And you would be champion for my sister?"

The Knave nodded. "And your challenger?"

Several of the Rebellion's creatures called to the Queen, volunteering for the role, but one voice carried louder than all the others.

"I will challenge him."

there was such force, such barely contained ferocity in Percy's words, that it silenced all others.

He was standing about 30 yards away from her, his top hat poking above the crowd.

_No. He's not even wearing armor, he can't possibly... she won't let him..._

The Queen met his gaze for a long moment.

"If there is no one else..."

Alice knew what she had to do.

"I'll fight him!"

She stepped forward, amid the rippling whispers of the Rebellion. "It's not right,"they said. "She's supposed to challenge the Queen."

But Alice knew, somewhere deep in her bones, that Percy would not survive an encounter with the Knave. She would do anything to prevent her worst nightmare from coming true.

She glanced at him- and immediately regretted it. Gray eyes burned into hers, begging her to step back, to not let herself be hurt.

They were both so afraid. For each other.

But Alice would not let her fear control her.

"I will fight." she said again.

The Queen nodded. "So be it."

Alice stepped forward again- her legs were shaking so, that she marveled that she made it to the center of the no-man's land. Marveled that she began circling the Knave with such quiet determination, falling into the familiar forms of her play fights.

But the Knave wasn't playing. The glint in his eyes was that of a cat who had just cornered a particularly juicy mouse. Alice was playing right into his hands, and she knew it.

But she would happily face a thousand Knaves in order to avert the fate she had dreamed Percy would suffer at his hands.

So she circled, both of them spiraling closer and closer inward until-

_SHIIIIING!_

The clash of steel on steel jolted Alice instantly into alertness. The Knave had grazed the silver steel on her shoulder, and she rolled to avoid a blow aimed at her head. She cursed inwardly- why hadn't she worn a helm?

Too late for that now.

She sidestepped another flurry of swipes, analyzing his moves as she ducked and weaved around him.

_Quick. Calculated. This guy's gonna catch every-_

She jumped to her feet, dodging a slash meant to cleave her head from her shoulders. Her heart hammered.

_-mistake._

She couldn't wait anymore- he was driving her, pace by pace, into a line of red spears.

So she grunted with effort and lashed for his neck. He tilted his head, dodging the blow, but she hacked off a lock of ginger hair. Alice grinned savagely.

_That's from Sir Gregory._

But her moment of triumph was soon extinguished- the Knave was throwing blows at her almost faster than she could parry them, their swords dancing and flashing in the dull light. She whirled behind him to dodge a sweeping blow and slashed across his back- a roar of pain telling her that her blow had landed. Blood soaked through his black robes- she must have hit him right between the armor plates.

"That's from Squirrelbeard!" she cried.

The words had hardly escaped her lips when a seething Knave whirled around and kicked her in the stomach, knocking her off balance. She barely had time to register the crowd's shouts of horror before a line of fiery pain lashed her side.

She clenched her jaw to muffle a scream- he had slashed her horizontally, right across the navel. The wound wasn't deep, but it seared with pain.

_He's playing with me. _

He could've- should've, killed her just then. But it seemed the Knave wished to play with his food before he ate it.

But he couldn't play much longer- blood dripped onto the gray-brown soil and the gash on his back was limiting his movement. But Alice's wound was making her dizzy with pain as well- they would have to finish this. And soon.

She started forward, ignoring the surge of pain from her belly, and slashed mercilessly at the Knave, hot rage bursting forth from inside her. The sheer force of it was startling. Her sword twirled and writhed, and she nicked his arms several times. Now she was driving _him_ back- back towards the circle of awed, silent onlookers.

_But what will you do when you get there, Alice? _She thought bitterly. This wasn't a round of sparring- the Knave wasn't just going to give in. She would have to incapacitate him, or-

CHHCKT!  
The Knave brought the hilt of his sword down in a swift arc and blinding pain erupted in Alice's forehead. The crunch of metal meeting flesh was all she heard before her world faded to silence, the anguished roar of the crowd lost to her ears. Her vision flashed red and white, she was swaying. Exhaustion and the blow to her head finally took her, and she could already see the Knave's sword swinging down... she was going to fall...

THUD.

Alice was on the ground.

She could taste blood.

She was still holding her sword.

She blinked- she could still see, too. And she could still feel the debilitating pain building up in her side and head, each throb more and more intense until tears leaked down her face. She couldn't be sure where she was or what was going on- the blurry tunnel that was her vision kept fading in and out, until...

"Fates above!" someone shouted, the noise shattering the fuzzy silence smothered her ears.

"She's done it! Alice killed the Knave!"

_Killed?_

Her heart nearly stopped as she took in the scene before her. The Knave was lying on the ground, the hilt of her sword protruding from his neck. She had fallen right on top of him.

He was dead. It was all Alice could do not to retch right there and then, but before she could register anything further, blinding brightness flooded her vision. Someone screamed, and sudden pressure enveloped her forearm. But before she knew who it was that held her, she blacked out, and all was silence.

--

The Queen of Hearts was displeased. Not angry, of course- everyone in the room would be dead if she were. The Queen was keeping her temper reasonably well. Things had gone as she planned-

almost as she'd planned.

The Knave was dead, but that was no loss. He was plotting, always plotting- there was no trusting him. The manner of his death was a little disappointing, however- she_ had_ wanted to see Alice lop off his head. But she would be repaid tenfold for his death, if all went according to plan...

"I won't say I told you so, Your Majesty." said a cold voice from behind her throne. "But I did. The Knave was no match for Alice."

She glanced around- she hardly let anyone stand behind her throne. Behind her, they could slit her throat, stab her back, see her face- but in front of her, the light from the window hid her features, and she could see all that transpired.

But for this, her most valuable servant, she could make an exception. He was a mysterious man, to be sure- a hood shadowed his pale face. She didn't like people who wore hoods- they left room for duplicity. Betrayal. But this man had been instrumental in keeping an eye on the Knave.

Oh yes; for him, she could make an exception.

"Valerus was a loss, but nothing compared to what we may gain... and you said she had the Key on her?"

The hooded figure nodded.

"Inside sources from the Rebellion told us so. It is precious; Alice will not leave it in Arohall."

She grinned, flashing pointed teeth beneath black lips.

"I have always loved the Knave's games- especially when he loses to a more clever player." she sighed, almost sadly. "But she didn't beat him outright. A shame... I would have liked to see this coming battle last longer.... It would have been so much fun to see you truly best the Knave's killer."

The hooded figure stiffened a little.

"I was under the impression that Alice wasn't meant to die. That she would make a valuable ally, if turned. And the key..."

"The Key is paramount. And it rightfully belongs to Alice." said the Queen shortly. "But it can be wielded by others. And Alice would make a most wondrous ally indeed... the heart of an Alice contains more power than any other. That's why only an Alice could destroy the Jabberwockey, the very manifestation of evil... my_ dearest _pet..."

The hooded figure nodded, unsurprised. "And you wish to... capture her heart? Through... manual means?"

The Queen laughed, a witchy, cold sound.

"Oh, nonono, dearie, not _that_ kind of heart. Her _true_ heart- her soul, if you wish to use the term. But there are only a few ways to do that, and so far... your way has been most ineffective."

The hooded figure stiffened.

"I tried to convince him, but he would not listen to me. It was not my fault."

"Be that as it may," said the Queen, her voice dangerously quiet. "You failed. We will need the Key to obtain her heart now."

Muffled shouts sounded from outside the throne room.

The Queen of Hearts was unmoved. "It sounds like Alice has regained consciousness. Send for the Cards."

The hooded figure clapped once, and metallic clanking echoed off the high ceiling. The room was filling with red soldiers, forming a single-file row along every wall. Waiting.

But not for much longer.

--

Alice awoke slowly and painfully- she hurt everywhere. Every one of her slashes, bruises, and cuts throbbed in unison with her head. But she also felt something strange- the feathery feeling of warm fabric brushing against her cheek, over and over again. The touch was almost enough to lull her back into unconsciousness, but she shook herself awake. Something told her that she was not safe here.

She blinked her eyes open, letting out a low groan as light assaulted her eyes. She was lying on cold red tile inside a small, empty hallway, it's walls draped with red and black-

_Hearts? But that means.. No no no! _

She tried to sit up, but gentle hands pushed her down again.

"Easy, Alice! Stay still, you're hurt..."

She recognized that voice- a gray-eyed face swam in front of her. She blinked- all of her wounds were bound. It must have been him... and it was his gloved hand stroking her face...

"Percy?" she said blearily. "Where are we?"

She knew already, but thoughts were not quite connecting in her brain. What happened?

"We're inside the Castle of Hearts. And before you ask, I have no idea how we got up here. I ran for you, and then there was a huge flash of light, and..."

He ran his hands through his streaked hair. "We need to leave, Alice. We appeared right inside a circle of guards- I managed to shake them, but we don't have much time and the Queen of Diamonds is in trouble fighting broke out just after we left and it doesn't look good and I could see it out the window and-"

"Percy!" snapped Alice. She could see the gray in his eyes darkening into a more sinister black. He closed his eyes for a long moment, and when he opened them, they were gray again.

"Sorry. Nervous rambler."

She couldn't help but smile.

"I know. Now, how do you propose we get out of here?" she managed to push herself to a sitting position, but when she tried to stand, crippling pains racked her body and she collapsed into Percy's arms.

"S-sorry..." she stuttered. He smiled. "Don't be. But this still doesn't solve the problem of how you're going to-"

The doors burst open with a BANG, and Percy's arms tightened around her, clutching her to his chest protectively. A line of Cards crashed into the room, surrounding them. A strange man stood by the doorway, his smile the only feature visible beneath his hood.

"Found you."

Percy growled deep in his throat like a dog- Alice could feel it rumbling through his chest. His eyes were bright pools of red, and he brandished a sword with his free hand.

"Not a step closer." he snarled. The hooded man laughed.

"What are you going to do- _glare_ me to death? Take them away."

Alice could do nothing but cry out desperately as cold metal hands yanked her away from the Hatter, lifting her off her feet. She kicked and struggled, but nothing helped- four cards were dragging Percy away, though he utilized every bit of his Outlandish strength to get at her.

"Alice! ALICE!"

"PERCY!" she cried, tears coursing down her face. But it was no use- she could not escape the hands dragging her out of the room, the cold laughter ringing in her ears.

It was too late. The game was over.

_Or rather, _as her grandmother would have said, _The ball was out of their court. _

_--_

The Queen of Hearts was even more evil-looking when she was happy. She was so excited by Alice's arrival, (She ignored the fact that she was being dragged struggling and screaming into her throne room.) she quite forgot to stay seated in front of the windows. She was no longer totally hidden by it's blinding light, and so her guest (_Guests_, she corrected herself. But she would deal with the Hatter later.) could see her face. She was pale- almost unnaturally so, and her pudgy body was barely contained by her tight dress. She had one of those unfortunate figures that looked as though it was strapped in by many invisible belts (And perhaps a corset.) Her head seemed almost too large for the tiny silver crown perched upon it, but that was likely because of her thick hair. Her black curls were swept up into an elaborate, pearl-netted updo, and sharp bangs fell to the tops of her cold red eyes- as red as Percy's when he was angry. Her eyelids were smothered in red makeup, and her long dress was adorned in silver, red, and black- all covered with hearts, of course. Even the bodice was shaped like one.

There is simply no subtlety in Wonderland's monarchs. Not where fashion is concerned, anyway.

While the Queen of Diamonds had radiated airiness and kindness, the Queen of Hearts reminded Alice of nothing but death- death and suffering. Suffering that they may soon experience firsthand.

_Not if I can help it. _She thought determinedly. But as she was barely able to stand and pinned between Cards, Alice was unlikely to be doing any helping anytime soon.

The guards marched them towards the throne, forcing them to their knees a few feet from the Queen's eager face. The hooded figure sunk into a sweeping bow, and Alice was reminded suddenly of the Knave's.

The Knave. For a moment, that horrid feeling of nausea overtook her again. She had killed a man.

Then Alice remembered the carnage at Squirrelbeard's workshop, and the moment of softness fled. The Knave had deserved to die a hundred times over for taking Marcus and Percy's masters away from them.

"Here they are, my Queen." he said softly, an edge of excitement to his tone. The Queen sank back into her throne, and the hooded man stood beside her.

"Excellent, excellent... but you were not supposed to take the Hatter, too, naughty thing. Couldn't you be satisfied with one prize?"

He grinned, fingering the hilt of his sword. "I shall be satisfied soon enough. May I?"

The Queen nodded. "Of course. I believe I shall like your games even more than the last Knave's."

_The last... so he's..._

Then he took off his hood, and Alice's blood froze to ice.

_No. Please, no. _

Marcus stood before them, a wicked glint in his eyes.

_**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**_

_  
DUN DUN DUUUUUUNNNNN! _

_I pulled a Murtaugh! XD Don't shoot me, please. It's not over yet! Did you see it coming? I hope not, I took great pains to keep it hidden until this chapter..._

_...but now that we know Marcus is in league with the Queen of Hearts, you wonder... just how long has he been a traitor? _

_Read on. :D_

_....and all references made to the 2010 Alice in Wonderland movie do NOT follow the movie's storyline! In this version, the Queens are different, Wonderland is different, the Jabberwockey dies, as does Stayne, but the Queen of hearts is not dethroned. In fact, we even have a different Queen of Hearts. There is no White Queen. Just forget what you know about the movie unless I mention something! XD And yeah, this chapter was long. Lots of point-of-view switching, but I wanted to prolong the drama, and Becca said I needed to milk it more, so I am. _

_KJ: I am personally a fan of Curious George! XD Just wanna make sure I don't catch any crap for the last chapter, is all... _

_The next chapter will be comparable in length. As always, thanks to my lovely readers and reviewers! :D_

_Thanks again!  
_

_-JadedWarrior_


	18. Broken

_**Chapter 18: Broken**_

_In more ways than one._

"No, no, _NO_!" Alice cried. She could barely register what had happened- it must be a dream, a byproduct of her head injury. Because her best friend couldn't have done this, couldn't be evil, couldn't have sided with the Queen.

No.

This couldn't be happening.

But it was. Tears blurred her vision as she recalled Squirrelbeard's last words,

"_You three are a family. You have to stay together." _

She'd thought their family was cracked before, but now it had shattered right before her eyes. Why? What could she have done, how had this happened, how could her friend have been so twisted... and...

A shard of ice pierced her heart.

Had Marcus been serving the Queen since the beginning? Had their entire friendship been a_ lie?_

"How long?"

Percy's words were so soft, Alice might have imagined them. But it was deceptively so- his eyes burned a deep red.

"How long?" Marcus echoed, looking thoughtful. "Valerus has been visiting me in dreams for about a year. But this is my first visit to the castle... and I must say that I'm enjoying it."

"A year?" Alice breathed. "But..."

Her next words nearly died in her throat, so horrid was the realization.

"Then you must have known about the attack on the workshop!" she cried. " You _knew _Squirrelbeard and Gregory were going to die!"

An almighty roar tore the air and Percy lunged towards the throne. He hurled himself at Marcus, but the Knave kicked him hard in the stomach, laying him flat on his back. Cards rushed forward to grab him, but Marcus halted them.

"Wait." Marcus smiled a slow, deadly smile. "Leave him to me."

Wordlessly, they backed away. But the soldiers surrounding Alice tightened their hold, pulling her back towards the wall.

"Get off! Let... GO!" she snarled, but she couldn't break free of their ironclad hands.

She could do nothing but watch as a ring of cards slowly closed in around the Hatter and the Knave. Marcus was already circling as Percy struggled to his feet, drawing his sword.

"NO!" Alice cried, but it was no use. Neither of them seemed to have heard her.

"Don't get too emotional, Hatter." he spat contemptuously. "I _didn't _know that Squirrelbeard was going to die- only that the Knave was going to question him. Our masters' deaths were unfortunate, but necessary."

"Necessary?" Percy echoed through gritted teeth. His eyes were frighteningly close to black. "_Necessary? _You really believe that the Queen is trying to improve Wonderland? Do you honestly think she's going to protect you, once you've outlived your usefulness? When she's done with you, she'll have you beheaded."

He shot a glare at the mad monarch, which she returned squarely. But it didn't dull the light of anticipation in her eyes. Disgust squirmed in Alice's belly.

_She's enjoying this._

"You have one more chance, Marcus." said the Hatter bitterly. "It's the last you have- go down the road you're on, and no one will be able to save you. Do you hear me? YOU WILL DESTROY YOURSELF!"

he shouted the last words, his face twisted into a snarl, but Marcus only shook his head.

"Destroy myself? I have reforged a destiny out of shambles- out of the meager scrapings of a peasant's life. To think, I actually wanted to be one of the Rebellion's little lackeys... have you noticed, that it's always, 'A Hatter, an Alice, and a Knight?'_ And_ a Knight. As if I was an afterthought, a _pawn _in Fate's pretty little game."

His eyes flashed dangerously. "But now, I play on my own terms. I hold more power than you will ever have, Hatter, and soon I will be even greater. After all, there's nothing stronger than the heart of an Alice."

His eyes wandered in her direction, and Alice shot him a frosty glare. But she couldn't help but wonder... the heart of an Alice?

Marcus finally returned his gaze to the Hatter. "I tried to tell you to stay away from her- you were ruining everything. Any suffering Alice may endure is wrought by your hand, not mine."

"You LIAR!" Percy roared. "You won't_ touch_ Alice- and the only one causing us misery is YOU!"

Marcus shook his head. "Poor deluded Hatter. If you'd only listened to me, we could have stood on this throne as equals... for the most part."

Percy growled deep in his throat. "I'd rather die than join you."

"At last, he understands!" the Knave laughed. "You will die, and soon. I always keep my promises. And as for the Queen..."

He turned around, looking the monarch in the face. She looked like a child at Christmas, eagerly watching the proceedings. But her rapture faded a little at the look on Marcus's face.

"What? I order you to stop looking at me like that!" she barked, but he shook his head.

"Nope. You see, Trenta, I've never actually followed your orders."

The Queen mouthed the word 'Trenta' once in silent shock. No one had used her first name in over 100 years. But her white face soon flushed red.

"OFF WITH HIS HEAD! GUARDS, SEIZE HIM!"

Not a single card moved.

The red in the Queen's face faded to a terrified, ashen gray.

"No." she whispered. Marcus grinned.

"Oh, yes. You see, Valerus and I have been working towards your downfall for a long time." he glanced back at Alice. "Thanks for getting rid of the old Knave for me, dearest." he said brightly. "It would have been quite an ordeal to do it myself, and frankly, I have better things to do."

Marcus didn't overlook the fact that Percy's eyes flashed bright, flaming red when he said the word "dearest."

"Jealous, are we?" he taunted. But he didn't give the Hatter a chance to respond before he returned his gaze to the Queen, sitting stiffly in her throne. The deep, paralyzing terror in her gaze almost made Alice feel sorry for her.

Almost.

"What... what are you doing?" she spluttered, as Marcus advanced on the throne. His eyes glinted- and Alice 's heart thundered. _What was he going to... oh, no._

He raised his sword and said simply,

"Off with your head."

Alice couldn't watch.

_SSSSSSKKKT!_

Blade met flesh, and a terrified shriek was the last sound anyone heard from the Queen of Hearts. When Alice finally dared open her eyes, she couldn't bear to look at the throne, and the figure she knew would be slumped there. But she couldn't miss the crimson blood splattered on the cream-and-black tiles.

_She's dead. He... He killed her. _

"You _baskrell_." Percy growled, his face as incredulous as it was angry. "You didn't have to do that."

Marcus shrugged nonchalantly, but a satisfied smirk betrayed him. "I'm the Knave of Hearts- soon to be the King. I can do whatever I want."

And at that moment, Alice knew that her best friend was lost to them forever.

Whoever this man was, he was not Marcus Raine.

She wasn't going to beg- not for him. Not for the Knave. But Alice would never forgive herself if she didn't make an effort to save Percy. They were surrounded by Cards- fighting was useless.

There was only one thing left to do.

"Marcus, _please_." called Alice, refusing to let desperation creep into her voice. _"Don't do this. _Let Percy go."

It's me you want; you don't have to hurt him."

It was stupid and pathetic, and probably fruitless. She was wounded, dizzy, and caught firmly between gigantic metal playing cards- not in much of a position to bargain. But she would never forgive herself if she let Percy get hurt without doing anything to defend him. If she let the Knave take over and destroy, finally, what was left of the friend she knew.

If delivering herself into the lion's den was the only way to do it, then so be it.

"Please, Marcus. It doesn't have to end like this."

The Knave lowered his sword, looking at her with the expression of a man surveying an interesting curio.

"Curious. How on earth did you manage to control her heart without the Key, Perce?"

Perce. His nickname. For a moment, Alice saw a flash of the old Marcus in the Knave's eyes. But it soon vanished, and with it, Alice's last hope of saving Marcus' soul.

"_I'm not controlling her_, you bloody fool." the Hatter snarled.

Marcus drew his sword and advanced upon Percy. "We'll know soon enough, Hatter. All your lies will be revealed."

Then, with a wild war cry, he charged, and steel met steel.

The cards actually had to spread out a bit to contain the wild battle- Marcus was unleashing every bit of his progidous speed and skill on the Hatter. He hacked and slashed, driving his opponent back several paces. But Percy was a fast fighter. He sidestepped a wild chop and slashed at the Knave's side, only to be parried and shunted away. But he'd gained the upper hand, and with a few more quick blows, began making up the lost ground. He had almost pushed Marcus to the edge of the circle when a leg shot out to trip him. He managed to dodge it, but it set him off balance and he cried out as the sword slashed across his shoulder.

"NO!" Alice cried, horrifed as she watched blood soak into his jacket. _Why couldn't he have worn armor?_

The red in Percy's gaze intensified, and he countered the blow to his shoulder with a sudden feinted stab. The Knave's moment of confusion was all the Hatter needed. CRACK!

A wild uppercut meant for Marcus' jaw connected with his nose instead, which shattered instantly. Blood gushed from the wound, and Marcus staggered back several paces. His eyes were streaming and his bloody face was twisted with a glare of utter hatred that chilled even the Hatter's bones.

_This isn't the Marcus I used to know._

But the Knave soon collected himself, loosing a feral growl and slashing wildly at the Hatter's front. Percy blocked all three blows, but Marcus nicked his arms and drove him back further.

The Knave laughed. "The old knockout punch, huh?" he growled. "Not aiming to kill?"

Percy didn't answer, ducking a slash to his head.

"That's good." Marcus whispered, leaning close. "Because_ I _am."

This was a nightmare. A horrible, horrible nightmare. Her two best friends were fighting, and all Alice could do was watch. Watch and wait for Fate to rip her family apart.

_No._

From somewhere deep within, deep, white-hot rage bubbled up inside her. Not the blinding fire of anger, but the deep, angry-mother rage of pure determination.

_I am Alice. And I'm going to change Wonderland! This isn't going to happen!_

But what could she do? Percy dodged another succession of quick blows, and Alice knew that his wounds were draining his strength. He was a Hatter, not a trained fighter. Other than his nose, Marcus had no major injuries, and he didn't look to be tiring. The circle of cards moved again, and Marcus pushed Percy back, back- his sword flashing and dancing with the Hatter's progressively weak blows. He was forcing him towards the tall windows behind the throne, and from there, the Hatter would have no escape. He was cornered. Percy realized this, and, in a rash, wild move, threw down his sword and rugby-tackled the Knave. For a moment, Alice's heart lightened- no one could beat an Outlander in a wrestling contest. But Marcus knew this just as well as she did, and wasn't about to let Percy turn their duel into a fistfight. He fought his way out from under Percy, and prevented another punch with a swipe of his sword. The Hatter glanced around for his sword, but Marcus had kicked it aside. A fiendish grin was spread across his face.

"End of the line, Hatter."

He feinted a swipe for his throat. As Percy he leaned back to dodge it, Alice knew what was going to happen. She'd fought with Marcus, she'd seen this move.

"NO!"

But it was too late- the moment Percy had arched his back to dodge the neck-swipe, Marcus brought back his sword and ran it straight through him.

For a moment, no one moved. Percy stood stiffly, eyes wide and staring at the hilt protruding from his front.

Then, he gave a single, strangled gasp and collapsed.

Alice screamed in horror. no, no NO! She tried to be afraid, tried to be angry, sad- but she couldn't feel anything.

Just blank, all-encompassing shock. Her vision had shrunk to a tunnel, all she could see was her best friend, bleeding on the ground. This doesn't happen! The good guys don't lose, the story doesn't end this way.

_Mad Hatters don't die!_

Percy was on the ground bleeding to death, and Marcus was rapidly advancing towards him, raising his sword for a killer blow...

_And there was nothing she could do about it._

"NO!"

The white-hot anger finally burst from Alice and she rushed forth, shirking off her guards as easily as she would children. The burning pain from her injury was lost in the rushing light and the whispers in her ears.

No. _This_ Hatter wasn't going to die. Not today.

All she could see was Marcus bringing down his sword- she didn't even feel the Key burning white-hot as as she raised it high. With a voice unlike her own, magnified and echoed, she cried

"_SEFENERON REIL!"_

She had no idea what it meant- it was as if someone had been speaking for her, moving her lips into patterns she knew not. A flash of light and a blast of heat surged from the key, and Percy disappeared, just as Alice had after her battle with the Knave. But the force of the blast was too strong. Her feet were pulled off the ground, and the sound of glass shattering was the last thing she heard before she plummeted into empty space and everything went black.

She'd always wanted to fly. Ever since she was little, she'd dreamed of spreading huge, feathery wings and launching herself into the air. The wind would ruffle her hair and rush past her in a cascade of icy energy. She would ride the wind, taming and guiding it as the world zipped by beneath her. No matter how high she flew, she would never be afraid. That was what she was doing now- flying. She was suspended above an endless sea of rippling grass, watching it flow by beneath her. It was wonderful- liberating. She was totally without pain or fear for the first time. In fact, she couldn't remember where she was or why she had been flying, but it mattered very little. What was important was the present.

_"Alice."_

She paused in her thoughts for a moment, but her gentle smile didn't fade. Whatever it was, she was sure it couldn't hurt her here. Perhaps it was a bird, coming to fly with her.

"_Alice?"_

Worry began to prick at her skin- did she recognize this voice? She tried to picture someone- a name, a face, but no one came to mind. In fact, she couldn't bring anyone to mind. Thousands of blurred, fleeting images rushed through her mind, but she couldn't recall a single familiar person.

_Does that mean I don't know anyone?_

That thought frightened her, though she wasn't exactly sure why. The wind faltered a little beneath her wings, and she felt herself drop. She noticed for the first time the dizzying height, and how terrible it would be to fall...

"_Alice. Alice, can you hear me?"_

Her heart began racing. Who was this? What's going on?

"Hello? Who's there?" But no one answered. She was dropping steadily now, and her skin pricked with something else. Not fear, but... pain? It grew steadily more intense, especially around her navel and head. Why would that be? She glanced down, and gasped.

A gash had appeared across her abdomen, and it was dripping with blood. Had that always been there? She almost remembered getting it...

_ "Alice, please! Wake up!"_

Alice gasped and started, her eyes snapping open. She immediately regretted opening them so fast- whiteness assaulted her vision. The walls (For she was sure she was in some type of room.) were white, the floor was white... her bed was white, but there was something wrong with it. Were those... wires, trailing over it?

She glanced at her arm- an IV had been run into it, connected to a bag of clear liquid hanging from a pole. Strange instruments beeped and clicked, filling the small space. She was bandaged all over, and fuzzy, faraway pain throbbed everywhere.

"Oh, Alice, thank heavens you're awake." someone sobbed. "I thought you'd died."  
The voice. Alice turned to look for it's owner, and gasped.

It was Amelia. Which meant she was in a hospital, in Elsewhere. (Where had she learned that word?) But how had she gotten here?

"A-Amelia?" she choked, her thoughts thick and sluggish. "What's happened?"

"There was an accident. Someone found you in the woods, almost dead and bleeding everywhere. Oh, Alice, what's happened to you? It looked like you'd been in a car crash!"

Tears dripped down her sister's face, but Alice was scarcely aware of them. Her heart was racing, and the mechanical beeping in the room sped up to match it.

_ An accident? But the battle happened, it really happened- didn't it? _

Her stomach was clenched and icy- she wanted to vomit.

_Then Wonderland, the kiss, the battle, Marcus... no! It couldn't have been a dream, it wasn't an accident, I couldn't have made the last five summers up! _

Her mind was racing, Alice was desperately trying to collect her slurred and disjointed thoughts.

_The battle. It's still happening, Percy- I know that name. I saved him... where did I send him? What happened? And the Rebellion, they need me, they need an Alice... this can't be happening! I have to go back!_

"Alice! ALICE! Calm down! I need a nurse- someone help her!"

But Alice wasn't registering her sister's cries- she only heard the pounding of her heart and the mechanical beeping growing faster... faster...

Then people rushed into the room and everything went black again.

She wasn't flying. Not this time. Her sleep was black and fevered, and it was several hours before she woke again. This time, her mind was a little clearer than before, and she managed to focus in on Amelia's face. Her eyes were red and puffy- she'd been crying. Alice was dimly aware that hers must look the same.

"Amelia?"

Her half-sister whipped around to face her, hope and relief blazing on her face.

"Oh, Alice, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to worry you..."

"No. It's okay." said Alice quickly. She didn't want her sister to torture herself, as she so often did under strenuous guilt. But her injuries really throbbed now. She could feel a storm of pain building, dulled, but still just under the surface...

_How much Vicodin do they have me on? _

It would explain the fuzziness. But she could think on that later...

"Amelia? What day is it?"

"Sunday."

"How long have I been... out?"

Amelia bit her lip, hesitating. A brief internal struggle flashed in her gaze before she answered,

"Promise not to panic if I tell you?"

"Promise." said Alice without hesitation. Her half-sister took a deep breath and answered.

"A week. You woke up a few hours ago- do you remember that?"

She nodded, and forced the panic back down. Right now, she needed answers.

"Amelia, did I have... a key on me? When they found me? A big gold one?"

She didn't know exactly why this Key was so important, but something itched in the back of her mind about it...

Her sister's brow furrowed. "No. Why? Is that why you were in the woods?"

Alice ignored the last two questions, trying to fit the new information into her fuzzy mind. Like a game of Tetris, she needed to piece together one thing at a time. Eventually, it would all fit. She wasn't going to think about what would happen if it didn't.

_Okay- so I don't have the Key. A Key. That important.... thing. No big deal, though- it would have been easy for that to fall with me._

Fall. Where had that idea come from? And where had she fallen from? She remembered little of the accident (Had it really been an accident?)... there was something about a tree... a castle... maybe a flash of light? Bandersnatches and Badgers, Rabbits and Queens... they were all muddled up in her head. Whenever she thought she'd grasped something, it slipped from her mind, and her head throbbed a little more intensely.

"Exactly what kind of a-accident did I have?"

She had a sneaking suspicion that she knew already... but if that had really happened, how had she survived- much less made it into an Elsewherian hospital?

_'Elsewherian?' Where had she heard that before?_

Amelia shrugged. "I don't know, Alice. We were hoping you could tell us. Can't you remember anything?"

Alice shook her head, but regretted it when pain shot across her bandaged forehead. White dots popped in front of her eyes- with it, the fleeting image of a key, a flash...

_...a giant set of windows? But..._

That was when it clicked. She glanced at her arms, and sure enough, they were riddled with tiny scratches.

_Scratches made by thousands of shards of glass when I fell.. out..._

_The windows. I must have fallen out of the windows behind the throne. But how did I survive? _

Alice didn't know. But a little spark of hope came with Amelia's answer- if her accident couldn't be explained, then Wonderland could still be real. She wasn't sure of exactly what Wonderland was, but something deep inside her told her firmly that it was _real. _Every time the logical part of her tried to refute it, it was snuffed out by the image of... a pair of orange eyes? That's strange...

Alice glanced around her room- it was empty, save for herself and Amelia. She was glad for the absence of Goliath and Macbeth, but what about her Grandmother? She remembered her grandmother.

"Amelia? Where's Grandma?"

Her half-sister gave a long, shuddering sigh, and placed her hand over Alice's bandaged one.

"Alice, Grandma is dead. She died of a heart attack last week."

Alice gave a mournful wail and tears flowed afresh from her eyes.

Broken. The world was shattered, bruised and broken.

_**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**_

_**ATTENTION! THIS STORY IS NOT OVER!!!**_

_**BOOK TWO IS BEING UPLOADED AS A SEPARATE STORY, AND I WILL POST THE LINK TO IT WHEN THE FIRST CHAPTER IS UP! **_

_**BOOK ONE IS DONE, BUT BOOK TWO WILL BE OUT SHORTLY! REMEMBER THAT!**_

_Yes, I love Granny too, but she has to die. Unfortunately, it was the only way to fill a gaping plot hole, and the reason will be apparent next chapter. _

_KJ: There- I tried to go for some extra drama with Percy and Marcus' sword fight. Happy?_

_Becca: I use -- things for my POV switches. They might be hard to see with 's formatting, so I'll see about that...._

_P.S: Baskrell is an Outlandish curse. I'm sure you can sound it out and figure out what it means..._

_Thanks again to my lovely readers and reviewers, and stay tuned for the next chapter! We're not done yet, not by a long shot- but you've gotta stay tuned for book two!_


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